


In Another Perfect Life

by Rikkichi



Series: Meet the McCrees [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: ABO is present in the fic but beyond the initial setup it's not a major plot point, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, OC children - Freeform, Post-Recall, Slow Burn, past mcgenji fwb, past mpreg referenced
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-01-15 14:52:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12323229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rikkichi/pseuds/Rikkichi
Summary: "Jesse, just calm down-""Calm down? How the hell can I calm down?! There's a damn fuzzy snake living under my kid's skin!""This isn't the first time you have seen a dragon.""No, but if he starts spoutin' some 'ryuu ga dragon fire bullshit' then I'm gonna kick both of your Shimada asses!"---Alternatively: Jesse's one-night-stand comes back to bite him in the ass years later when he discovers his son has a dragon of his own.





	1. Let's be superheroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had two ideas I was working on for the Mchanzo Big Bang. This is the one I decided not to go with, because it was getting way too long for the BB. So instead of scrapping it, I'm going to post it here. It's already about 2/3rds written (though unbeta'd, sorry about that), so I plan to post a chapter every couple of days until I catch up with what I have already written.
> 
> This is an Alpha/Beta/Omega fic, though that part is more important for the setup to the story than anything else. Sorry to disappoint, but there's not going to be much kinky content in here. The 'Mature' rating is because there's several references to the one-night-stand that Jesse had, which ended with his son being born. (Spoilers it's also technically mpreg because Jesse is the one who gave birth, but that also is not going to be a major thing in this story. It's part of the setup as to how Jesse has a kid.)
> 
> Please leave comments and critique! I don't have a beta for this fic, so if I miss anything in my review of the chapters please let me know.

**Six Years Ago**

_Night had fallen some time ago, probably back when Jesse was still eating dinner at that small ramen stand. With the heavy, low clouds that had hung over the area all afternoon, there was no telltale sunset to indicate the end of the day. Instead the grey had faded to black, and the street lamps had flickered on at their usual time. That was fine by him, he could catch that sunset tomorrow maybe. He had heard that the sunsets in Hanamura were a must-see, and he had another week before his plane left to catch it once. Hopefully the weather cleared up before then._

_He could smell the rain in the air, but it hadn't started to fall yet. Good, he didn't need to try and find shelter yet. His Stetson would keep the rain out of his face, but it wasn't enough to keep his clothes dry as well. Still, he hurried on to his next destination. His belly was full, and now he wanted to have a bit of fun before he went to bed for the night._

_There weren't really bars in Hanamura, at least not the kind that Jesse was used to. These were more like night clubs, full of young people and neon lights and mixed drinks he couldn't even begin to name. But a little bit of research had led him to find a smaller, quieter bar, one full of older men looking to wet their throats after a long day of work. Jesse himself wasn't old, not yet at least; 31 years certainly put him a few years past all those young spitfires that had started to fill Overwatch's ranks just before they were disbanded, but he still had a ways to go before he got grey hair and wrinkles. He was probably out of place, surrounded by these 40-somethings and 50-somethings, but at least it wasn't full of techno and kids far too young for his tastes._

_Most of the men were in groups at small tables, but there was a bar to sit at, which Jesse went right over too. A few people gave him looks, but they said nothing and quickly returned to their drinks and small talk. Jesse never let the looks bother him too much. He knew he was a foreigner here and was bound to stick out a little bit. That was alright by him. Maybe if he made enough of a scene, he would finally be able to lure Genji out of hiding._

_Assuming Genji had actually come back to Hanamura, that is._

_The bar had three other patrons sitting at it. Far to the left, down by the doors that led to the backstock area, were two men involved in a heated discussion. About four seats down from them, somewhere in the middle of the bar, was a lone man in a hooded jacket. Unlike everyone else here, this man was by himself, and seemed interested in only his drink._

_Jesse paid none of these men any mind, and instead slid into a seat on the far right of the bar, closer to where the tables were. Flagging down the bartender, he requested 'something strong' and left it to his best judgement. Alcohol was different here in Japan, and Jesse had found more luck in letting the bartenders pick for him than in trying to translate any of his favorite liquors into Japanese._

_His drink arrived shortly after: some kind of clear liquor in a small shot glass. Jesse gave his thanks to the bartender and downed it all in one go. It burned in a good way as it slid down his throat, and it would've been enough to wake him right up if he had been tired. Yeah, that's the stuff right there._

_Jesse set the glass down on the counter and glanced to his left, towards the man by himself. It was hard to see much of him, as the hooded jacket concealed most of his face. He could see a beard, though, one that had the beginnings of grey hair weaving its way through the black strands. Maybe late 30s? It was hard to tell in the dim light of the bar._

_After a moment the man's head lifted slightly, and he sent a sharp look in Jesse's direction. 'What are you looking at' was the clear message there, along with 'leave me alone'. Jesse was undeterred by such a look, though. If anything, it made him more interested. Reaching up with his left hand, metallic fingers finding the edge of his hat, he tipped it down slightly in a friendly greeting._

_The man scoffed at that and looked away._

_So that's how he was going to be, huh? Well, that was fine. Jesse hadn't come to that bar for anything more than a drink, but he was always up for a challenge._

\---

**Present day**

The diner hadn't changed much over the years, Jesse noticed. Same old seats, same cheesy decorations, same ancient cook. About the only actual change to the place was that, after one too many gang fights, the owner had installed some beefed-up security. Namely in the form of 'hidden' turrets. Heaven help anyone who tried to start shit now.

Jesse was not going to be starting anything that day, though. No, his only plans at the moment were to finish something very important. Namely, the eggs and sausage still left on his plate. It was going to be his only meal until that evening, so he needed to make sure to fill up. The problem was that the food was just as bland and flavorless as the coffee was, and no amount of salt in the world would fix that. It was a challenge to get each bite down without grimacing.

He looked across the table at the plate opposite of him. The trio of half-eaten pancakes looked just as unappetizing as the rest of the food, but at least they were drenched in butter and syrup. Syrup could fix anything, Jesse reasoned. Maybe he could swipe just one bite, a little bit of sweet to help ease down the bland. One bite would be fine, right? Nobody would miss it, and he was paying for those pancakes anyway. He definitely had the right to a taste.

But as Jesse considered slipping his fork over for some stolen goods, a pair of bright, amber eyes looked up at him. An action that involved a tilt of the head, given the large height difference between Jesse and his traveling companion. Even with a phone book being used as a booster seat he was still very short. It would take him some time to grow into his height, Jesse reasoned.

The small boy sitting opposite of Jesse was practically a mirror image of himself. Same face, same dusty brown skin, same dark brown hair (albeit a couple shades darker than Jesse's, closer to black than to brown). The only differences were his eyes, which were lighter and more almond-shaped, and his nose, which was much more angular than Jesse's rounded one. The only two bits that he got from his other parent, and thus the only proof that Jesse hadn't found a way to clone himself.

In that moment, as a father's gaze met his son's, Jesse completely forgot that he was totally about to steal some pancakes from his kid. He was too damn cute, Jesse just couldn't handle it. "Eat up, Mijo," Jesse said, and he returned to poking at his own food as he smiled like a fool.

For everything that had gone wrong in his life, at least he had this one thing to be proud of. He may have been an outlaw on the run, formerly a gang member, formerly part of a secret ops division of a now-defunct peacekeeping organization, and never able to keep his nose out of trouble, but at least he could say he was doing a good job as a parent.

He was going to raise this kid right. That was the promise he had made years ago, when his son was born. Even if he had to go it alone—which he did, the other parent was not in the picture at all—he would do it right, no half-assing anything. And for all of the promises he had broken in his life, this was the one he was going to keep, come hell or high water.

But his kid was five now, and 'five' meant 'time for school.' Jesse had been taking care of everything before then: reading to him every night, teaching him his letter and numbers, telling him stories of the past and where the future would lead the world. Still, Jesse was not a teacher, and there was only so much he could do. Eventually he was going to have to put his son in a school, which was a big problem because even seeing the name 'McCree' on a bit of paperwork would probably be enough to get the feds called in. 

Maybe that was why Jesse decided to listen to that message from Winston. He had gotten the video file several days ago, but he had ignored it. Overwatch was gone, and Jesse had no reason to hold onto the memories of the past. But at the same time, he hadn't just deleted the message either. The past was the past, but it had been such a huge part of his life for so long. Besides, Winston had never done wrong by him. Maybe he owed the big guy a bit of his time. And whatever Winston was calling for, maybe Jesse could earn a favor or two by helping him out. Winston might know a tutor that Jesse could hire privately to do video lessons or something.

So, forgetting the rest of his breakfast, Jesse flipped on his communicator and began to watch the video. He kept the volume low, so as to not disturb the other booths, but it was loud enough for him to hear. And he had to admit, the speech Winston made? It was pretty damn moving.

_"The world needs us now, more than ever! Are you with me?"_

The video feed flipped off, leaving a dark screen. A dark screen that reflected Jesse's own face back at himself. A tired, worn-down face, one that usually bore a smile to hide that tiredness, but that smile wasn't present right then. And without that smile, Jesse looked as old as he felt sometimes. Jesse McCree, 37 years old, ready to settle down but kept on the run by his bounty and his need to protect his son.

He frowned down at his own reflection, tossing Winston's words around in his mind. He wasn't some great hero of Overwatch, he was the remnants of the shadow organization that had led to Overwatch's downfall. Jesse may not have committed the crime that had taken them down, but he was just as guilty of laying the groundwork as any other Blackwatch member was. 'A necessary evil', they had been called. But then that evil had eaten Overwatch from the inside out. 

Maybe it would be better if he didn't respond to the recall. They could do so much better without him.

But then Jesse's gaze caught a small tuft of hair reflecting on the far end of the communicator. He looked up, and saw that his son had stood up in his seat, leaning over the table so he could see the communicator too. And when Jesse looked up, his son looked up at him too, eyes wide in wonder. 

That's right, Jesse had never told him about Overwatch, nor about his own part in it. This was probably the first time he had even heard about it.

Well, he couldn't disappoint his own kid, now could he?

Jesse grinned. "What do you think? Should Papa be a hero again?"

His son nodded his head vigorously, his messy brown hair bouncing up and down with each movement.

"That settles it then," Jesse murmured, and he pushed the 'yes' button on his screen.

A hero, huh? 

Maybe he really could be a hero this time around.

\---

Five days later, Jesse and his son had packed everything they owned into two bags and had taken a hop, a skip, and a jump over to Gibraltar. A public bus had taken them to a stop not too far from the old base, but they had to walk the rest of the way. With Overwatch not officially being recognized, they had to be at least a little sneaky about their approach. It wouldn't do to have the local authorities alerted to what was going on in the old Watchpoint.

Jesse still remembered the way by heart, though. Gibraltar wasn't the home base to Blackwatch, but it was a frequent stop during his travels around the world. As such, he had snuck out more than once to get booze from the nearby city, and thus he knew the ways in and out of the base pretty well. Who would have thought that his old boozehound ways would serve him well even now.

It wasn't until they approached the mostly-hidden hangar that they came across anyone. As they crossed the grassy field to the tall cliffs that hid most of the base from view, a familiar blur of blue light came zipping around, stopping just in front of Jesse. He didn't even need to wait for the person to stop and be visible to know who it was, he would know that presence anywhere. "Hey, long time no see."

"Heya," came the cheerful reply. God, Jesse hadn't heard that voice in over six years, not since just before he left. It was like music to his ears, and he couldn't help but grin.

Lena hadn't changed much. She had grown older, to be sure, and her outfit had changed a bit. But she still had that same goofy smile on her face, one that was practically infectious. And if her movements were anything to go by, she was still going a mile a minute. Of course she would be one of the first ones there, who else had the speed to show up right away?

"It really has been a long time, hasn't it? But it's good to see you again love, I was really worried about you, you know? All those reports about your bounty, about the 'dangerous outlaw' running around America, it was downright scary! I mean, I never doubted that you would be okay, but I still worried, you know?" Yep, she still ran her mouth too.

Jesse held up a hand to stop her. "I got you," he said, "I promise, it wasn't as bad as the news made it seem. I ain't some common criminal causin' trouble. I've got my hands full nowadays anyway."

"That's right! Winston said you had a 'plus one' with you!" Lena grinned, but that grin quickly fell into a confused look. "Well where is she, then? Or he, I guess, you always liked both, right?"

Jesse blinked, and he looked down to his right side, which was where his son usually stood. Said spot was conspicuously empty, but it was then that Jesse felt a pair of small hands grab onto the back of his serape. Ah, so that was where he went. "Now don't go bein' all shy on me," Jesse chided gently, looking over his shoulder and reaching back to put his hand behind his son's back to try and coax him out of hiding. It didn't fully work, but it was enough to make him peek out just enough to look up at Lena.

It was enough to earn a gasp from Lena. "He didn't say you had a kid," she said, crouching down so that she was at the small boy's level. "Hi there! I'm an old friend of your dad's, did you know that?"

Jesse watched his son shake his head. He knew the kid would be quiet as a mouse now if he was already hiding himself, so he decided to speak up for him. "This here's Rico. Don't worry, he ain't much of a talker, so this is pretty normal for him. But he'll warm up to you pretty quickly, I reckon. Rico, this here's Lena. Or 'Miss Tracer' if you wanna be formal about it."

"I can't believe any son of yours isn't much of a talker," Lena said cheekily before turning her attention back to Rico. She offered him a hand as she said, "If you need anything you can come right to me, alright? I'm always here to help!"

Rico nodded, but instead of shaking Lena's hand he reached out and gave it a gentle high-five. The movement made Lena giggle, and she gave him a high-five in return. Then she stood up and stretched her legs a bit before saying, "C'mon, I'll show you the way in. There's not many people back yet, but it's all old guard, so I bet they'll be glad to see you."

Jesse shifted a bit, moving to offer his right hand for Rico to hold, which the boy immediately took and held onto tightly. At least this way the kid wouldn't get lost on the massive base. "So who's all back so far," he asked as they walked towards the cliffside.

"Well, there's Winston for one, and me," she said, "I was thinking about bringing Emily, but she said she wasn't up for the whole 'saving the world' thing. Leave it to the experts, that's what she told me. Reinhardt and Brigette are here too, they just arrived a couple days ago, and Torbjorn's been here since this morning. There's also a handful of support staff here too, they've been trickling in along with the agents, but I don't think many of them are going to be coming back. Most of them got jobs elsewhere after Overwatch shut down." She paused, counting out something on her fingers, before she said, "Oh! Angela should be here sometime tomorrow, and Genji said he was coming as soon as he finished some business back home. He said he was brining someone with him, someone who wasn't in Overwatch before but that was interested in joining. And there's maybe a dozen more who gave us 'maybes' that we're still waiting on too."

So from the sounds of it, there weren't many people coming back. On the one hand, it was a good idea to keep their numbers low for the time being. The fewer agents they had, the less attention they would draw. But fewer agents meant fewer people to carry out missions. Whatever Winston had planned, hopefully he could carry it out with a skeleton crew. "Not many people," Jesse said thoughtfully.

"No, but we'll make it work." Leave it to Lena to think positive. "Besides, I'm sure having a little bit of youth on the base will liven things up! Did you know Torb has a bunch of kids now? I bet he'll love to see another one!"

"Well, you never know. Some people are particular to their own kids." Jesse was definitely one of those people. He could get along with kids just fine, but on a long-term basis they would probably get too annoying. But Rico was the perfect son, so that was alright.

Yes, Jesse was biased. He would be the first to admit that.

They reached the cliff, and the three of them carefully navigated the rocks to reach a hidden door. Once inside, they went to an elevator, which shot them down several stories to right close to the water level. There they stepped out of the elevator and into the hangars properly.

Most of the airships had been sent off to other countries to be used for other purposes, but a few of the older ones still remained. Small drop ships, each able to hold maybe a half-dozen agents and their gear. One was parked on a landing pad, probably for immediate use in case of emergencies. Besides that, there were several dozen crates full of what Jesse assumed to be supplies for the next few weeks. Even if they only had a handful or two of people, they still had to eat.

Lena swept her hand around the hangar, as if she was showing it off. "It's not much yet," she said, "But welcome back to Overwatch!"

Despite how cheesy it was, Jesse found himself smiling. It really was like coming home. And 'home' was what he needed, for both himself and his son.


	2. Tiny footprints in the dust

**Six Years Ago**

_Flirting with someone who wanted nothing to do with you proved to be a difficult task. At first Jesse had tried sending a drink his way, but that drink had been quietly refused and slid back down the bar. Next he tried slipping the bartender a few bills to pay for the man's next drink, which seemed to work for a moment, but Jesse quickly found out that his own drink had been paid for by this mysterious man._

_He was playing hard-to-get, clearly._

_Jesse took the trade of drinks as an invitation rather than a refusal, though. With his new drink in hand, he slid down the bar, stopping at the stool next to the man drinking by himself. "Hey there," he said, flashing the man a grin, "Mighty fine night for a drink, ain't it?"_

_The man merely looked unimpressed at Jesse's attempt at an icebreaker. He made no attempt to continue the conversation, instead choosing to go for the 'glare at Jesse until he leaves' method. Unfortunately for him, Jesse wasn't easily spooked._

_Jesse held out a hand, offering it up for a handshake, as he said, "The name's McCree." When the man merely stared at Jesse, barely giving him any notice, he quickly moved that 'handshake' offer into a tip of his hat. So smooth. "Now I can tell you ain't much of one for conversation, but I've bought you a drink and you got mine, so I think that means we gotta talk now."_

_"You are free to do as you wish," the man said dismissively, returning to his drink._

_It was probably meant as an outright refusal—Genji used to do the same thing any time Jesse bothered him—but Jesse decided to play up the 'clueless American tourist' thing and keep going. He leaned in a bit, invading the man's space just a little bit, as he said, "Got a name? Or am I gonna have to call you 'handsome' all night?"_

_The man snorted at that, only betraying the slightest hint of amusement. Then, saying the most words he had said for the night, the man said, "If you are trying to impress me, then you will have to try harder. Your flirting is subpar at best."_

_"Flirtin'" Jesse said, leaning back a bit like he had been struck by something shocking, "Oh darlin' if I was flirtin' with you, you'd know."_

_"And you would not call this 'flirting'," The man asked, speaking with a flat tone that barely betrayed it was a question. However, the man had tilted his head in Jesse's direction, and he was finally paying Jesse some attention. Even if he was trying to act like he was 'too cool', Jesse could tell he was at least somewhat interested._

_"Not at all," Jesse said honestly. He let that sentence hang there for a moment, but then the grin came back as strongly as before. "But if you're up for it, I can show you what 'flirtin'' really is."_

_For the first time that night, the man's face turned into a small, gentle smirk. "Then do your worst, McCree."_

_Jackpot._

\---

**Present Day**

The Gibraltar base was exactly as Jesse had remembered it. There was a bit more age to the walls, and the seawater had done a number on several of the external patterns. Rust could be seen here and there, pulling at the corners of the walls, spreading slowing across the aging metal structure. But despite those minor marks against its beauty, Watchpoint: Gibraltar was largely unchanged compared to how it looked six years ago. The same winding halls met Jesse as he tried to navigate to his room, leaving him to get turned around at least once before he finally found the rooms. He would have to take care to show Rico the correct paths to get around the base, so the young boy didn't get lost on his own. That, and invest in a communicator for the boy.

The sleeping quarters at Watchpoint: Gibraltar weren't the best out of all the watchpoints. This had been one of the first bases for Overwatch, and as such it had the earliest building designs. And, since Gabriel had been trying to save on costs until Overwatch had gotten some good financing from other world governments, that meant dorm-style sleeping arrangements. About 90% of the beds in Watchpoint: Gibraltar could be found in one of five dorm-style rooms scattered about the sleeping quarters.

Fortunately, with their current numbers, the new Overwatch could easily fit in only the singular rooms on the base. The Base Commander's quarters were the largest, and thus were left for Winston. Similarly, the next-largest quarters (for the second-in-command on-base) was given to Reinhardt and Brigette. He needed plenty of room for storing his armor in, after all.

Everyone else had taken up one of the 'squad commander' rooms. These rooms were small, maybe 400 square feet total, and were just one large room with a bathroom attached. But each room had a microwave and a mini-fridge, so they could function as little apartments.

The last room style, the 'family quarters', had been previously reserved for families with small children living on the base. Not many people took advantage of them, as most of those in Overwatch who had children also had someone else who could take care of said children long-term. The handful of 'family quarters' rarely went used, and Jesse didn't even know they existed until Winston had told him about them.

The quarters consisted of five rooms. The first was a 'common room' that functioned as a sitting room, a kitchen, and a dining room. It was still on the small side, despite its multiple functions, but it came off more as 'cozy' than 'cramped'. Then there was the bathroom, one of similar quality to the 'squad commander' rooms. Toilet, sink, shower, and that's it. These showers did include a bit more space, though, most likely to include room for a baby tub or something.

Finally, there were the three bedrooms. The biggest of the three was the parent bedroom, and the other two were smaller, 'children rooms', each capable of holding bunk beds for two children. So, in theory, a family of six could fit comfortably in these quarters. Which meant it would be no problem for Jesse and his son, they would each get their own bedroom in this arrangement. Hell, Rico could bounce between the two bunks in his room if he really wanted to. He was old enough to get up and down the ladder on his own, so Jesse didn't care which bed he slept in.

Jesse almost felt guilty for not offering up the third bedroom to someone else, but he decided to say 'it will be needed later' and leave it at that. As much as he liked his co-workers, he really did need his own private space for just his family. It got loud on base sometimes, and having his own private sanctuary to go destress in sounded pretty good. Plus, he was sure no grown adult would actually want to sleep on a bunk bed.

Thankfully, the living quarters were fully furnished. Jesse didn't carry much on him besides clothes and stuff for his weapons, so it would have been a very bare living space otherwise. Though if they stayed there for a while, Jesse imagined that the place would get filled up quickly. Between the little knickknacks he loved to pick up on trips and all the drawings Rico like to make, the walls and shelves would be covered within a couple months. Then it would truly feel like home.

"So," Jesse said, looking down to Rico, who was standing near him in the living room, "What do you think?"

Rico took a moment to glance around the room, absorbing the sights around him. Then he sniffed at the air, and he wrinkled his nose. "Old," he said.

Jesse chuckled. "Yeah, this place ain't been used in a while. I reckon it could use a good cleanin'." He dropped his bag onto the floor near the couch, and he strode across the living area to where the bathroom door was. Under the bathroom sink he found a bucket and some rags, but no cleaning chemicals. "Guess I'll have to raid the supply closet," he said to himself.

He took the bucket and rags out to the living room, but he left them on the small coffee table. "You stay here," he said to Rico, "Guard the house, I'm gonna get us some supplies. And maybe a bit o' lunch too."

Rico nodded in response, and Jesse left him there, though he was sure to lock the door behind himself. Rico wasn't one to go exploring on his own, so it was more to prevent others from wandering in than to keep him from going out. Luckily all of his old agent data was still on file, so he was able to claim the quarters and use his previously-registered handprint to unlock the doors. He would have to add Rico to that eventually, though. Especially if they ended up staying for more than a few years.

Fortunately, all of the cleaning supplies were right where they had been before. A fair bit of them were expired, of course, but Jesse was able to find a few powder-based cleaners (which don't expire so long as they stay dry, he had found out once) and made a mental note to tell Winston to get some new stuff before anyone used any of this. Not that expired cleaners would hurt anyone, they just wouldn't be as effective. Risking a foodborne illness because the dishes weren't washed well was not something Jesse wanted to experience.

He grabbed a box of powdered cleaner and a bar of soap, figuring that would be enough for now, as well as a broom and a dustpan. Then he turned and started to walk back, only to run into an old friend. The 'run into' part being quite literal, as said friend was built like a mountain and hard to avoid in the narrow halls of the Watchpoint. Even without his massive suit of armor on, he was still very large.

"My friend," Reinhardt said cheerfully, patting Jesse rather firmly on the shoulder, "It is good to see you after so many years!"

Jesse was nearly knocked off-balance by Reinhardt's hand, but he managed to stay upright and not drop anything in his arms. Despite the rather rough reintroduction, Jesse found himself grinning up at the 'old grandpa' of the group. "Hey there! You comin' out of retirement for us?"

Reinhardt let out a loud belly-laugh. "But of course! Do you think age alone could keep my hammer down? If there is justice to be served, then I will be there!"

Well that was good to hear. There certainly was plenty of justice to dole out, and having an impassable wall to protect the much squishier agents would be a godsend. Everyone else that was confirmed to be coming back was a quick-but-defenseless type of fighter, and one or two good hits could put them out of commission. Having someone like Reinhardt there to protect everyone would make things easier. "Well it's good to have you back then," Jesse said, "We could really use a fellow like you."

Reinhardt puffed out his chest proudly, an act that made Jesse chuckle. But a moment later he returned to normal and said, "We must talk more, McCree! But later, perhaps. It seems like you are on a mission right now."

Jesse glanced down to the cleaning supplies in his arms. "Yeah, I suppose so. Can't have the dirt pilin' up like it used to."

"It is good to see you develop better cleaning habits. You always had the messiest room, and it stank of cigars." Reinhardt gave Jesse a thoughtful look before continuing. "What brought about this change in you? It is a good change, but man does not change without reason."

"You got me there," Jesse admitted, chuckling again, "It ain't just for my sake, I got a mini-McCree tagalong now. Gotta keep it clean so he doesn't get sick."

Jesse watched as Reinhardt's eyes lit up. The older man had no biological children or grandchildren, but it was no secret that he loved kids. "Jesse McCree has a child," he said, his voice full of disbelief and shock, "I cannot believe it! That someone like you would settle down, why, you must be joking with me!"

It almost sounded insulting, but Jesse knew that the big guy in front of him never meant harm. So he brushed off the maybe-insult as a mistake in translation, and instead said, "I know, pretty crazy huh? I'll bring him around for dinner sometime so you can meet him. Be nice though, he spooks easier than a wild mustang bein' cornered in a prairie."

"Worry not! I will be gentle with him," Reinhardt said, and he gave Jesse a parting wave as he went about his own business.

When Jesse returned to his quarters, he could tell something was up. As soon as he opened the door, he could hear Rico giggling and scrambling around on the floor. It only took a quick search to see where the young boy had gone: his feet were visible past the end of the couch, which was mostly hiding behind. Grinning, Jesse set the cleaning supplies down near the door and snuck over to where Rico was hiding. He moved very quietly, taking each step slowly so as to not to make a single sound. Then, once he was close enough, he crouched down and grabbed Rico's ankle as he said, "Raaah! Gotcha!"

Rico let out a shriek of delight and tried to crawl away, but Jesse tugged him out from behind the couch and snatched him up into a big bear hug. Rico gave a cursory resistance, pushing at his father's head as he said, "Daaaaad, stoppit!" but Jesse didn't let go right away. He hugged the boy for just a moment longer before finally setting him down on the floor. 

For a moment it looked like Rico might run off and hide again in an attempt to continue their usual game of "hide, seek, hug", but Jesse managed to get out a question before the boy ran off again. "Were you hidin' the whole time, or didja hear me?"

Rico shook his head, a pretty clear answer that neither were true. Instead, he pointed to the couch—specifically behind the couch, where he had just been—and said, "Rojo!"

Ah, so it was this again. 

"Rojo, huh," Jesse said questioningly as he looked down at the area behind the couch. In this case, the couch served as a divider of sorts between the 'living room' and the 'kitchen/dining area', so there wasn't actually a wall there. It was very easy for him to crouch down low and peer under the couch entirely. "Your friend's back, huh? We haven't heard from him in at least a month now. What's he up to?"

"Playing," Rico said simply.

"Right, right, he's always up for playing-" Jesse's sentence was abruptly cut off as he noticed something in the dust and dirt that had settled under the couch.

Little feet marks, not unlike the ones a mouse or rat would make with their long, skinny toes. Along with that, there were some drag marks, like whatever had made those foot imprints had a low belly, or at least got low to the ground to drag itself around under the couch.

Jesse blinked a few times, and then he leaned back up, though he stayed in the crouching position and put a hand on the back of the couch to steady himself. "Were you chasin' mice or somethin'?"

Rico shook his head and repeated, "Rojo."

"Right, right, _Rojo_ was the one chasin' mice." Blame it on the imaginary friend, that was fine. This 'Rojo' had been around long enough that Jesse knew how to dance around the subject without making Rico upset, and he could keep up that act until Rico outgrew it. It did worry him that his boy had an imaginary friend at five, though. Shouldn't he have outgrown it by now?

Ah well, he could stew on it for a bit longer. Maybe Torbjorn would know about it, he had a ton of kids of his own. In the meantime, a few mousetraps would take care of the mouse problem at least.

\---

The next few days passed rather uneventfully. A handful of agents arrived, including one Doctor Angela Zielger, who immediately insisted on checkups for everyone who had arrived. Not too surprising, since she had always been serious about the health of her patients and teammates. Jesse thought she could have used a day or two to recover from jetlag, as she had been in the far east prior to arriving at Gibraltar, but she started taking patients the morning after she arrived.

Jesse's turn was about a day and a half later, and he decided to bring Rico with him too. The kid probably could have been left with someone, as he already had plenty of volunteers for babysitters whenever he had to go on missions. But Rico would need a checkup as well, so Jesse figured he might as well kill two birds with one stone.

"You are pretty healthy, all things considered," Angela said as she entered some information into Jesse's electronic chart. She was standing in the checkup room, datapad in hand as she typed away with her free hand. Jesse was seated on the examination bed, and Rico was on the floor nearby, playing with a pair of rubber gloves, some bandages, a stethoscope, and a medicine dropper he had swiped out of one of the supply bins. Normally the kid was good about staying out of stuff, but he always went digging around for things anytime he was at a doctor's office. Luckily, Angela didn't seem to mind too much.

Jesse waited patiently as Angela scrolled through the data files, looking for spots that needed to be updated. "Are you still smoking?"

"Not as much as before," Jesse admitted, "I quit cold-turkey when I found out I was carryin' Rico, and since then it's hard to sneak out for a smoke."

Angela nodded thoughtfully as she entered that into the chart. "It is good that you keep the smoke away from him, he needs the clean air for his developing lungs, and it won't hurt you either. Alcohol consumption?"

"Maybe once or twice a month, for the same reasons." Honestly, he hadn't really had a reason to drink at all in years. Those first few years were filled with the unending duty of being a single parent, and even after Rico had gotten old enough to be left with a babysitter he just hadn't found the reason to do so. Maybe things would be different now and he could loosen up a bit, but Jesse still had to decide if the nasty hangovers were worth it or not.

A few more taps, and Angela asked her next question. "Are you on any suppressants?"

"I'm a beta, Angie. I don't need 'em."

"You could still react to an alpha or an omega and go into a heat or rut of your own," she reminded him, "It may be wise to start using them, since there are going to be many of us in close quarters once more. And since you already have a child, you will be more prone to entering reactive heats now."

"I'll think about it," he conceded, but really he wouldn't. He never went into a heat or a rut on his own, and he knew the scent of either of those well enough to duck out of the area and avoid the problem entirely when it came up. The suppressants made him feel drowsy and drained, so he didn't want to take them if he didn't need to.

Angela made a soft 'tsk' noise but left it at that, leaving her comments as typed-in notes on his medical chart. She scrolled down a bit further on the chart after that, and had returned to her 'professional doctor' voice as she said, "Is your prosthetic in need of repairs or a tune-up?"

Jesse looked down at his left hand and wiggled the fingers around. "It feels fine, but I ain't had a checkup on it in about two years. It's probably time."

Angela nodded and said, "I will schedule one with our specialist, then." She opened a new form and began typing in more information, this time taking longer than a few seconds to type out her thoughts. Jesse just waited patiently while she did so, but he was starting to feel a bit restless. He swung his legs a bit, taking care to not hit the frame of the bed with his heels. Without his boots on, that might actually hurt a bit.

It was about then that he felt something cold press into the back of his right hand. He glanced down and saw Rico, medical gloves on his hands, using the medicine dropper like one would use a syringe. "You givin' me a shot, Mijo?"

Rico nodded his head, though his attention was firmly on his pretend-doctor-work.

Jesse smiled warmly and sat still, letting his son toy around with his hand. "What's it for?"

"Spiders," Rico said simply.

"Spiders, huh? Do I got spiders in my veins?"

"So many," Rico said, and he pulled away the medicine dropper and put a bandage on Jesse's hand. Then he leaned in and kissed it right over the bandage.

"'So many' of the spiders," Jesse repeated with a chuckle, and he looked back up to Angela only to find that a smile was tugging at the corner of her mouth as well. "That sounds pretty serious, don't it Doc?"

"I will trust the diagnosis of my assistant," Angela said, a touch of amusement present in her voice, "And speaking of which-"

Angela flipped to yet another chart on her datapad. "Do you have a shot record for him?"

Jesse shook his head. "We live on the road, it's hard to keep track of paperwork like that. It's a miracle I was able to hold onto his birth certificate. But I know he's had some of 'em. MMR, polio, chickenpox…HPV, I think? And flu shots every year too."

"Without a shot record I will have to readminister everything," Angela said with a sigh, "I can set him up for a nine-month course that should take care of all of them. Is that agreeable?"

"Yeah sure, that'll work." He knew Angela would be thorough about it, so he had no worries about Rico getting any shots. 

Angela nodded and typed in a few notes. "Any allergies?"

"A coupla mild ones: mold, dairy, and rabbits. Milk gives him an upset stomach but that's it, and the other two make his nose run and his eyes itchy." Which was a shame, because Jesse did love his ice cream, and he wanted to share that joy with Rico too. Making sure that any ice cream they got was dairy-free was always a headache.

A few more notes made, and Angela spoke up again, "I can do a physical for him today too, you two are my last patients of the day. But before we do that, are there any health hazards from his other parent's family that I should be aware of? I already have everything from your side, but I don't even have a name for the other half." 

Jesse shrugged. "Dunno. I never got the guy's name, much less his family history."

Angela's head snapped up and she gave Jesse a sharp look, one that made Jesse shift uncomfortably. "Look, it ain't-" He glanced down at Rico, then back to Angela, "I'll tell you later, alright? But he ain't in the picture."

Angela pursed her lips but left it at that. Jesse knew she could tell exactly why Jesse didn't want to talk about it: Rico was right there, and he was old enough now to overhear and remember stuff. Jesse didn't want his kid knowing that he was the result of a one-night stand with a man Jesse barely knew. Jesse knew first-hand just how damaging that could be to a kid. 

He would tell Rico someday, when he was older. But not now. It could wait a little while yet.

And maybe, by the time he was ready to tell Rico about it, he would finally have his feeling sorted out too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to include this before, but here are some notes on how this A/B/O AU works. Mostly for if you're curious about it, anything that's important to the story will be explained within the story itself.
> 
> 'Sex' and 'gender' are considered separate things in this universe. 'Sex' refers to being an alpha, beta, or omega. 'Gender' is male, female, nonbinary, genderqueer, etc. About 20% of the world is alphas, 20% omegas, and the other 60% betas. Most people are born with both sets of genitalia, and it is actually considered unusual to have just one or the other. 
> 
> Since gender identity isn't specifically tied to physical sex characteristics as closely as it is in our world, gender neutral pronouns see a lot more use. It is generally considered polite to use they/them pronouns until you know someone's gender for sure, and terms like 'mate' and 'partner' are more widely used than 'girlfriend' or 'husband' or anything like that. Parents will often use they/them pronouns for babies until they are old enough to start showing inclinations towards a gender (this is what Jesse did with his son). Some parents will also just pick a pronoun and use that, but also be open to switching if their child shows that they would prefer something else. Some parents are more stubborn about their child's gender and are resistant to changing how they refer to their child, but those people are seen as 'old fashioned' and 'bad parents'. Outside of traditionalist circles, it is heavily frowned upon to not use someone's preferred gender identity.
> 
> Alphas have ruts, omegas have heats. Both happen about once a year, but not necessarily during any one set season. Betas can experience both heats and ruts, but do not do so own their own naturally; rather, theirs are a result of being too close to an alpha or an omega while they go through a rut/heat, and in turn the beta will enter the opposite one to try and partner up with the alpha or omega. So it's more of a reactive thing. Additionally, anyone with a uterus can carry a child, but it is difficult for a beta to get pregnant outside of a heat and almost impossible for an alpha to get pregnant at all. Conversely, betas have trouble getting others pregnant outside of a rut, and omegas have a lot of difficulty impregnating others.
> 
> Alphas are stereotyped as domineering, intense, prone to violence, and 'in charge' of any relationship they are in. Omegas are stereotyped as nurturing, gentle, kind, but also prone to being emotional and needing someone to support them. Betas are seen as the 'balance' between these two emotional extremes: there aren't really any specific emotions tied to a beta, but rather their strengths are shown via being in opposition to what their partner is. When paired with an alpha, they are the calmer one. When paired with an omega, they are the more 'in control' one. (For example, because Jesse has calmed down a lot since his early Overwatch days and is a nurturing parent, most people would expect him to be dating/partnered with an alpha.)
> 
> The most common pairings are alpha/beta and beta/omega, with the beta being regarded as the one to 'balance out the relationship' and make it more emotionally stable. Alpha/omega is only slightly less common, and is seen as the 'standard' relationship, much like how male/female is in our society, but it is also seen as an emotional relationship because there is no beta to balance them out. Alpha/beta/omega threesomes are also very common, and very popular in media because it represents a balance of all three sexes. Beta/beta pairings are pretty common too, though these couple are often childless (or adopt children) because it's difficult to purposefully induce both a heat and a rut at the same time. There is some social stigmata against beta/beta couples because of that (they are seen as 'selfish' and 'not providing for the next generation', much like couples who choose not to have children are treated). Omega/omega pairings are rarer and tend to be good matches for each other, but like with beta/beta couples they are seen as 'selfish' by society because they tend not to have children. Alpha/alpha couples are the rarest, mostly because alpha posturing makes it difficult for two alphas to recognize they have feelings for each other. Alpha/alpha pairings are generally sink-or-swim: they either fizzle out within a month, or they end up being a very strong partnership that lasts for decades. Within all of this, sex plays more of a factor in relationship stereotypes than gender identity does.


	3. Midori

**Six years ago**

_"How 'bout this one: I lost my number, think I can have yours?"_

_"Absolutely ridiculous."_

_Jesse had been sitting at that bar for the better part of an hour, throwing all of his best pickup lines at this mysterious stranger. Though they had gotten the man to loosen up a bit—Jesse was sure he heard a chuckle come out of that drawn hood every now and then in addition to the comments—they still hadn't gotten the reaction Jesse was looking for. He may not have started the evening with a 'fun night' in mind, but it was certainly taking up his thoughts now._

_The man at the bar was charming, in his own way. Very serious and prone to scowling at first, but Jesse's cheesy pickup lines were tearing down that wall of stoicism and showing the amused man underneath. And once Jesse had scooted a little closer to the man, bring their barstools close enough that it was obvious they were drinking together, he could better see that handsome face of his. Goddamn if that smile of his didn't stir something in Jesse's gut._

_The scent wafting off the man certainly didn't help either. The man had been controlling it earlier, but as more drinks entered his system that control began to slip, and Jesse could smell more and more of this man's natural musk. It was strong, definitely an alpha's scent, with a mixture of fresh earth and the air just before a storm. Jesse just couldn't get enough of it, and it was all he could do to keep from burying his face in the man's coat and inhaling the scent. Idly Jesse wondered if this man was going through a rut, but he quickly pushed that thought aside. The smell of an alpha going through a rut would've been noticed by pretty much everyone in this bar, and Jesse was sure that at least a couple of the men there were omegas who would have thrown themselves at this mysterious stranger if he were actually rutting. No, this man must have had a strong scent normally, and just tried to cover it up._

_Still, it was very distracting, and Jesse couldn't help but comment on it._

_"You're smellin' mighty fine tonight," Jesse said, the words rolling off of his tongue effortlessly. He was tipsy, but not drunk, so his words weren't slurring together thankfully. "Do ya let it out for everyone to get a whiff of, or am I just special?"_

_The man tensed under the words, and he quickly glanced down to the bar. For a moment Jesse thought he had overstepped himself, but the man suddenly sighed. "I suppose the liquor is affecting me," he admitted finally, swirling his shot glass in his hand, "I have a strong scent, so I have to cover it up. Liquor makes that more difficult to do."_

_"Ah, that's one of them 'alpha problems', right?" The man nodded, and Jesse continued. "Well, 'salright. We can call it quits on the booze, I think."_

_Finally the man glanced back up to Jesse, and the sight made Jesse's breath catch in his throat. The man was smirking at him, his eyelids hanging low in a definite 'bedroom eyes' sort of way. And there was that stirring again, strong enough to make Jesse's pants start to grow a little uncomfortable._

_"The drinking should be over, yes," the man said, "But I suppose you are about to say something about the night not being over, hmm?"_

_This man saw right through him, and voiced his thoughts better than he could._

_Damn it all if that wasn't hot, though._

_"I'm up for a walk if you are," Jesse said, trying to play it casual, "I heard there's plenty of sights to see here, even at night."_

_"And you want a native of Hanamura to be your tour guide," the man asked._

_"Sure," Jesse responded, and then he leaned in a little like he was going to whisper a secret to the man in front of him. "But between you and me, I think the end of the tour's gonna be the best part."_

_That earned a genuine laugh from the man._

\---

**Present day**

Genji's arrival a few days later was a real treat. Jesse had been at least somewhat excited to see the others, but that excitement had been easy to contain. Genji, however, he was special. He was Jesse's closest friend, and he was the one Jesse had been looking forward to seeing the most. Six-and-a-half years had passed since they last saw each other, and now they would finally have the chance to catch up. So much had happened in such a short time, and they would probably have to stay up late talking with each other to get to all of it. It would be like those long Blackwatch nights all over again! Or so Jesse hoped, at least.

As soon as the announcement went out that someone was approaching the Watchpoint, Jesse went out to go meet him. However, he didn't go out to the hangar that most people were arriving by. No, Jesse knew better than that. Instead, he headed up to one of the topmost points of the Watchpoint, one that overlooked the waterfront. Up there, at the top of one of the comm towers, Jesse waited.

Luckily he didn't have to wait long, as a certain someone had already been climbing up there by the time Jesse reached the door. Within a few minutes a familiar blue of grey-and-green launched itself over the edge of the building and right at Jesse, who just smiled widely and moved to catch it. Both man and cyborg went for a tumble, laughing as they did so.

"It's about time," Jesse said. He was laying flat on his back after that tumble, but he had Genji in his arms and was giving him a tight hug. "I was beginning to think you'd never make it!"

Genji may have been on top, but his arms were pinned in that bear hug Jesse was giving him. Still, he used what limited movement he had to hug Jesse back as he said, "I'm sorry, I had other things to attend to first."

They both held onto the hug for a few moments, but ultimately Jesse let go. This allowed Genji to slip off of Jesse, moving instead to sit cross-legged next to him. Jesse hauled himself up next, and sat there too, though his legs were splayed out more comfortably. With a bit of space between them now, Jesse could get a better look at his best friend. He looked largely the same as the last time they had spoken: same grey suit with green lights, carefully maintained to be kept in peak condition. Jesse could see some small signs of wear and tear, but it did little to take away from Genji's whole look. For a moment Jesse wondered if Genji would let him see his face, his real face under that mask, but he decided not to ask. Not yet. Genji was always sensitive about that. 

"More 'secret ninja' stuff," Jesse asked.

"More like 'secret Shimada stuff', but yes," Genji said. He paused there for a moment, his head inclined towards Jesse. It was hard to tell just what Genji was looking at, since his mask hid his eyes, but Jesse got the feeling that the cyborg was watching him carefully. He must have been about to drop a bombshell on him, he only ever did this when he was trying to gauge someone's reaction. Finally he said, "I found my brother."

"You mean the same brother who fucked you up," Jesse asked.

Genji nodded. "And I have forgiven him for it."

Silence fell between the two friends. Jesse knew about Genji's little trip to 'go find himself', he had been told about it just before Blackwatch fell. It was how he had known to go out east to even look for Genji in the first place, all those years ago. But whatever Jesse had been expecting of Genji, forgiveness was definitely not it.

Jesse's smile dipped down into a slight frown, which in turn became obscured by Jesse's hat as he pulled the brim down over his eyes. An old habit, one he used to hide his displeasure. "I don't get how you'd just forgive someone like that," Jesse admitted, "Hell, it ain't my body, and I still wouldn't do it."

"My body is broken, but my spirit remains strong," Genji said simply, "If I took my revenge, then both would be lost to me." 

"That sounds like the words of a holy man," Jesse admitted.

Genji let out a soft noise, one Jesse understood as a little laugh. Even with all those years apart, Jesse could still remember all the little nuances that made Genji who he was. "You could say that. The omnic monks were very accommodating, during my time with them."

Jesse tipped his head back slightly, gazing at Genji from under the brim of his hat. "You've been hangin' out with omnics?"

Raising his hands to indicate to his body, Genji said, "I am both man and machine. I must embrace both parts in order to be whole."

"Yeah, but those're bionic limbs 'n' stuff. There's nothing 'omnic' about 'em."

"Perhaps, but I am not likely to find a bionic limb capable of communicating with me," Genji said.

Jesse didn't have much of a reply to that. It did make him uncomfortable, as even after all these years he didn't much like omnics. He wouldn't go out of his way to hurt any of them, but at the same time he wasn't about to make friends with them. They had their own space, and so long as they weren't causing trouble then Jesse was content to leave them to that. He had grown up through the worst of the Omnic Crisis, and you just didn't forget anything like that.

Still, he didn't want to say anything that might upset his friend, especially if the disagreement was over something that had been genuinely helpful to one party. So he made a noise of noncommitment and left it at that.

"But what about you," Genji said suddenly. Jesse recognized that immediately as 'let's not talk about the uncomfortable thing, here's a sudden topic change'. It was something they had done a lot back in Blackwatch, back when Genji was still recovering and Jesse was trying to dance around his myriad of personal problems and incredibly short temper. "It has been quite some time, so surely you must have been up to something."

"It's been quite a while, yeah," Jesse admitted, "I tried to track you down, y'know. For like a year after we both left I was followin' you."

Genji tilted his head to the side in curiosity. "Did you? How did you manage to follow me?"

"C'mon Genj, we're best buds. I knew you'd go to Hanamura first. Followin' you around there was the hard part though, you'd duck in, kill a couple guys, then go off 'n' hide again. I think I stayed there like six months followin' your trail before it finally went cold." Six months of following leads that may-or-may-not have been Genji in the first place, if Jesse was being truthful, but who else could have been killing off members of the Shimada clan? "After that I tried goin' to China, there were rumors of you over there somewhere, but."

Jesse paused there, taking in a breath as he considered how to say the next part. His thoughts drifted to a shitty hotel room many years ago, where a flickering bathroom light was all he had to read one of the most important tests of his life by. "Well, some people'd call it a 'happy little accident', I guess."

The silence that followed that half-confession didn't last very long. Jesse could hear the apprehension in Genji's voice as he said, "Jesse. What happened?"

Instead of telling Genji, Jesse decided to show him. He pulled out his phone—an old model, one he had used back in Blackwatch, which he had never replaced despite the OS not getting any updates in the last couple of years—and flipped open the camera. From here he flipped through his recent pictures until he found the one he was looking for: a selfie of himself and Rico, sitting in their seats on the plane that took them from America to Spain. Then he tilted the phone so Genji could see, and the gasp of surprise came not even two seconds later. "Jesse," Genji said, his voice somewhere between shock and worry, "When did this happen?"

"Back in Hanamura's my guess," Jesse admitted as he closed the camera app and slipped the phone back in his pocket, "Coulda been early on in China too though. Guess I should've listened to Angie's warnings about birth control."

"Not just that, but how did you manage to raise a child without breaking something?" It might not have irritated Jesse so much if Genji's question hadn't sounded so genuine. The look on his face must have been enough to tip Genji off to that, though, because he quickly added, "He looks like he's doing well so far, but you weren't the most responsible person back in Blackwatch."

"Blackwatch was ten years ago, Genji. Some of us go on some spiritual journey to grow up, some of us get some extra responsibilities." That was the long and short of it, really. Having to take care of a child all on your own did wonders for your maturity level. It did help that Jesse was already in his 30s when Rico was born, though. He doubted that he would've been able to handle it if he had been a 20-something instead.

Genji nodded to Jesse. "A fair point. My apologies, my friend, I should not have doubted your abilities." 

Jesse couldn't see Genji's face, but he could tell from Genji's voice that he was being honest here. That made it easier for him to let the whole thing go. Well, that and the fact that Genji was his friend. It was hard to stay mad at a guy like that. "'salright," he said, "Water under the bridge."

That seemed to lift a bit of weight off of Genji's shoulders, at least. Jesse was sure Genji knew that Jesse could never really be mad at him, but he had that habit of playing coy. Cheeky little shit, Jesse said silently to himself.

The silence fell between them again, but ultimately it was Genji who spoke up once more. "Can I meet him?"

"I was gonna bring him to dinner tonight, if you wanna see him there," Jesse admitted, "He's met a bunch of the old crowd one-on-one, but I think he's ready for the whole group."

"Oh? Is he shy?"

"Painfully shy," Jesse said with a chuckle, "And quiet. Real quiet. He never says more 'n' a handful o' words at once. You gotta be sharp to get what he's sayin'. No clue where he got that from, but it sure ain't from me."

"Maybe you talk enough for both of you combined," Jesse suggested, "My brother was much the same, when we were younger. I did the talking, he silently glared at me for speaking for him."

Jesse paused there. The casual mention of Genji's brother like that was still so weird to hear. After so many years of anger and pain, to be able to talk about it so lightly again seemed…weird, at the very least. Too weird for Jesse's liking. But it wasn't Jesse's past, he reminded himself. It was Genji's, and if he wanted to forgive his brother, then that was his business.

He had a feeling that he would be repeating that mantra many times in the coming weeks.

"Izzat so," Jesse said, rolling the thought over in his mind, "Maybe I should give him more of a chance to speak."

"I think that would help," Genji said, "Though I will have to see him myself to be sure."

\---

That night, Jesse led Rico to the dining hall. The small boy must have known something was up, because he was being clingier than he usually was. And even though there were only a half-dozen or so people in the dining hall, those little hands clung onto Jesse's serape tightly as they both stepped in.

The dining room itself was quite large, meant to hold over 50 people at once. There were rows and rows of long tables and stiff-looking plastic chairs, there more for function than comfort. They had all been cleaned recently, though it was fairly obvious that the two closest to the kitchen saw the most use. Those tables had new stains and scratches on them already, evidence of the last months' worth of meals. It was clean, but not sterile, and the scent of the place brought back memories from years past. He could almost see the place brimming with soldiers, all grabbing a quick meal between missions.

Having so few people in such a large room almost felt lonely. Almost.

Lena was there, of course, and she gave the pair a friendly wave from her own spot at one of the tables. Rico manages a shy wave back, but he immediately went back to clinging to Jesse a moment later. That got a giggle from Lena, who said, "Come sit over here once you've got your food." Jesse answered her with a nod, but left it at that.

Reinhardt was there as well, talking over something about weapons with Torbjorn. The discussion seemed pretty heated up until Jesse got close, at which point the attention turned to him. "There you are," Reinhardt boomed loudly, enough so that Rico jumped a little in place. Jesse smiled and placed a hand on Rico's back reassuringly as Reinhardt continued to talk. "I was beginning to think you would never come to a meal!"

"Yeah, well, just had to warm up to it a bit," Jesse said, and he nudged Rico out from his hiding spot, "Had to get the little guy settled."

"Is this your son, then?" Reinhardt smiled widely and offered a hand out to Rico. His voice even turned gentler as he addressed Rico directly. "Come here, let me see you."

Rico glanced up to Jesse, who nodded back to the boy. Then he carefully stepped over and eyed Reinhardt closely, taking in the sight of the large man. After a moment he nodded to himself, and then he went around Reinhardt's hand entirely and instead opted for scrambling up into the large man's lap.

"Guess he took to you already," Torbjorn said with a chuckle, and he elbowed Jesse as he said, "It's not too surprising, my kids like him too."

Rico was a quiet child, and it was difficult to hear him sometimes. This was especially true in a room full of people chatting and laughing it up, even if there weren't that many people present. But Rico also seemed to be aware of his quietness, because once he was in Reinhardt's lap he stood up on his leg, grabbing onto his shoulder to steady himself. Then he leaned up and whispered something into Reinhardt's ear. Jesse couldn't hear it, but whatever it was it made Reinhardt laugh a big belly laugh. "I'll see what I can do," he said, and he helped Rico get back down to the ground.

Rico went scurrying back to Jesse, who simply raised an eyebrow at the boy. With his eyes full of wonder, Rico said, "Santa!"

That drew a laugh from both Torbjorn and Jesse. "That is what my children said too," Torbjorn admitted.

"Be sure to wear the suit," Lena called from across the table.

At that, Jesse patted Rico on the head. "Let's let Santa and his elf eat their dinner, okay," he said, drawing an offended 'hey!' from Torbjorn. But Rico nodded, and he followed his father over to the kitchen door.

Once they were in the kitchen, Jesse took a moment to show him around. The kid probably wouldn't need to use any of the equipment here, but at the very least Jesse could show him where the snack foods were. "This here, this is the serving table. Anything up here's for grabs. And over there, that's where you can get the chips. But not too much, alright?"

Rico nodded, and Jesse patted him on the head again. Then he went about getting two plates of dinner—some kind of meat stew with potatoes and carrots in it—as well as a couple glasses of water. Then it was back out to the dining room with them.

By the time they made their way back, Genji had joined the group at the table. He didn't need to eat, and had often skipped meals entirely back in Blackwatch, but it seemed that he wanted the company now. And to meet Rico too, of course. He was busy chatting with Lena, but as Jesse and Rico approached he stopped and looked to Jesse, who nodded at him. Then he crouched down in front of Rico in one smooth motion as he said, "Hello."

Unlike with the previous introductions, Rico didn't seem to shy away. Instead of hiding behind Jesse, he watched Genji, seemingly staring at the cyborg. Jesse let the boy be for the moment, and instead took the time to set all of their dinner stuff down on the table. "Say hi to your uncle Genji," he said gently to his son.

Genji inclined his head in Jesse's direction. "'Uncle Genji'?"

"Well sure," Jesse said with a shrug, "You're my friend, so you'd be his uncle."

"Ooh! Does that make me an aunt," Lena asked excitedly.

"Of course," Jesse answered with a grin, "Y'all can be his aunts and uncles. It's like one big family here anyway."

Rico didn't seem to notice the conversation, though. He was focused intently on Genji, more specifically on his chestplate. Finally he moved, reaching out with his right hand to place his hand over Genji's chest, right where his heart would be. "Midori," he said, nodding to himself.

Jesse and Lena looked to each other. Lena raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged in return. Then they both looked back to Genji and Rico, who hadn't moved much. But now Genji was speaking, saying, "That's right, part of my suit is green."

Rico made a face at Genji, one Jesse instantly recognized. It was the same look he got whenever Jesse misunderstood something he had just said. But Rico was never one to explain his thought process, and instead he just pulled his hand away. A moment later he was scrambling into his chair so that he could start eating his dinner.

Jesse left the kid to it, and took a moment to talk to Genji once the cyborg had stood up. "DIdn't expect it to go like that," he admitted.

"You were right about him being a quiet one," Genji said, "You did not mention that he knows Japanese, though."

"That's because he doesn't," Jesse said, "Just English and Spanish."

"…huh." Genji paused there, clearly considering something. "Then how did he know that word?"

"'Midori?'" Jesse's pronunciation of the word was way worse than what Rico had managed.

"Yes. It means green, and I thought he was referring to my lights, but if he shouldn't know the word in the first place…" Genji let his sentence trail off there.

It was weird, admittedly, and Jesse didn't really have an explanation for it. "Maybe he heard it on the telly," Lena offered, trying to be helpful, but even she didn't sound like she particularly believed it.

An annoyed noise drew their attentions down towards Rico. The boy was looking up at all three of them, an exaggerated frown on his face. "Rojo and Midori," he said, as if that explained everything. But all three adults just continued to stare down at the boy in confusion, who made another annoyed noise and went back to eating his food.

"'Rojo,'" Lena asked, looking back up to Jesse.

"That's Spanish for 'red'," Jesse said, "And it's the name of his imaginary friend. Dunno what it's got to do with this, unless you got some green-themed imaginary friend?"

Jesse clearly expected a laugh and a denial for his joke, but when Genji actually considered the answer for a moment it made him think that something else was up. "C'mon," he said, "I'm not bein' serious here."

"Well, maybe I do have an 'imaginary friend'," Genji said, and he jabbed his thum over his shoulder, indicating to his own back.

Jesse understood what he meant immediately. He had seen Genji's bare back enough times to know exactly what he was pointing to. There upon his skin, carefully treated and kept safe from the encroachment of cybernetic limbs, was a large tattoo of a green dragon. The same dragon that Jesse had seen a handful of times in battle, when Genji had called upon it to aid him in defeating enemies.

No, it wasn't possible. Genji had said that such a thing was special to his family alone, and Jesse definitely hadn't slept with Genji during the window when he would have conceived Rico. Not to mention that Genji was another beta, and two betas having a child together on accident was almost impossible. No, it couldn't be that. It had to be something else.

So, Jesse shook his head. "I don't think it's that," he said finally, "Rico's a normal kid, I ain't seen nothin' out of the ordinary like that."

"…if you say so," Genji said, but he didn't sound entirely convinced.

Not that it mattered, because unless there were a bunch of dragon-bearing Japanese men running around Hanamura, then the odds of Rico having a dragon were nil. No, it had to be a coincidence, or there was some other explanation for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you probably guessed, Genji's dragon is indeed named Midori.
> 
> Hanzo will be showing up in the next chapter, by the way.
> 
> Also I went back and re-named the older chapters. Originally I was using song lyrics for chapter titles, but I decided to change that. The name of the fic is a song lyric, however. It's from the song 'Run' by the Foo Fighters. Which is where I was pulling the chapter titles from too, but I decided they don't fit so well anymore.


	4. Old flame stirred anew

**Six years ago**

_Hanamura was quite a large city, so there were more than enough places for Jesse's unnamed guest to take him. Most of it was modern attractions, of course: arcades, bars, restaurants, and even a small amusement park near the ocean. Along with that, there were a few more natural locations: parks, mostly, but the Shimada castle loomed large in the distance as well. They couldn't hope to see it all in one night, so Jesse trusted his guide to take him somewhere interesting._

_That was how the pair had ended up in one of the downtown parks, a small patch of green mixed into the whites and greys of concrete and steel. The sakura trees had finished blooming for the year, and trees that had once been covered in beautiful pink blossoms now sagged heavy with new, green growth. A sign of the coming summer, Jesse told himself._

_Not that they could have viewed the cherry blossoms at this hour anyway, what with it being dark out and all. By now the only light came from the lamps littered about the park pathways, as well as the occasional set of headlight beams that permeated the foliage at the borders of the park. With the clouds hanging heavy over the city, even the moon was obscured that night. The glowing lights provided more than enough light for the two men to see where they were going, though._

_They walked side-by-side, making idle chatter as they meandered down the park paths. None of the conversation was particularly important, and Jesse quickly forgot it all as they moved onto different topics. What Jesse would remember most about that night was the man's laugh, one that was drawn out of him with much effort, and that only lasted briefly every time it appeared. Something about that laugh, low and husky, struck a chord within Jesse. He would never get enough of it, he decided._

_After a particularly hearty laugh, Jesse finally worked up the courage to make his move. He slipped his right hand into the man's left, interlacing their fingers gently. The man stiffened, and Jesse murmured to him, "'salright sweetpea, there's no one else around. Just you 'n' me, with the whole park to us."_

_The man did not speak, but he did relax into Jesse's grip, and they continued their slow walk. After a couple minutes of silence, the man finally spoke up again. "I am…unaccustomed to such gestures."_

_Jesse cocked his head to the side. "What, you ain't never held hands with someone before?"_

_"No," the man said with a gentle shake of his head, "Such things were forbidden. I was taught to never show softness, not even behind closed doors. Such is the life of a yakuza."_

_Ah, there it was. With how cagey the man had been acting, Jesse figured this man had to be involved in something like that. Yakuza, huh? Jesse idly wondered if maybe he worked for Genji's family. "With the Shimadas," he asked._

_The man grabbed onto Jesse's hand tightly, not enough to hurt but enough to get the point across. "I do not wish to speak of it," he said firmly, "Not tonight."_

_Fair enough, Jesse could honor that request. It didn't particularly matter to him anyway. Jesse was only going to be in Japan as long as it took to find Genji, so it wasn't like he would see this man again after tonight. Maybe it was for the better that he didn't get to know him that much._

_Jesse pulled his hand up, dragging the man's hand up and curling it slightly so that he could lean in and kiss the man's knuckles. He grinned into the kiss as he heard the man sigh softly, and a quick glance over revealed the pink tinge that had started to adorn the man's face. So he didn't have much experience with intimacy? That was fine, Jesse could shower him with praise and little gestures like that. He always did like spoiling his lovers._

_After a moment he pulled the hand away from his mouth, but stopped short of letting go entirely. In the light of the nearby lamppost, Jesse caught a glimpse of something blue around the man's left wrist. "What do we have here," Jesse said curiously, "You got a bit o' ink?"_

_"Don't sound so surprised," the man scoffed, "Men of my profession usually do."_

_"I ain't ever seen one like this before," Jesse admitted, turning the hand slightly to get a better look at the mess of blue and gold. It went into the man's coat, and was probably a full sleeve of some sort. All Jesse could see right now, though, was an inch or so of the pattern, a design which seemed to end with the snout of a dragon at his wrist. "You've got a good artist. I don't think I've ever seen colors this bright before."_

_The man had at first seemed uncomfortable to have attention drawn to his tattoo, but now he was at least smirking a little. "You sound as though you speak from experience. Do you have your own marks, McCree?"_

_"Sure do," Jesse said, matching the man's smirk with a grin of his own, "Wanna see? Maybe we can do a trade of sorts, I'd love to see the rest of this one."_

_"Perhaps later," the man said, giving Jesse's hand a gentle tug that seemed to indicate that he wanted to keep moving, "In a more private setting."_

\---

**Present day**

It was nearly a week later when a critical change happened.

Of course, at the time nobody realized how important of a day it would be. As always, it was a tiny change that set larger things into motion, a spark that would eventually ignite an entire powder keg of troubles. Everything that was to follow was set into motion by one, tiny change to the Watchpoint.

A gift, if one was to be technical about it. One given with only good intentions in mind.

"I have returned," Reinhardt boomed as he stepped into the common area, a couple of shopping bags in hand. Each one was from a different store, and most contained various supplies needed around the base. One, however, was different from the others. Instead of coming from a supermarket or a hardware shop, it carried the logo of an art store on it.

Jesse and Rico were in the common room at the time. The pair had managed to find the old board games left in one of the cabinets in the common room, and they were attempting to play checkers. 'Attempting' being the key word there, because several of the checkers had gone missing ages ago and they were using many substitutes. At the start it was easy to keep track of which 'pieces' belonged to who, but as the game progressed it became more and more difficult. More than once Rico had commandeered one of Jesse's pieces, though the older man had said nothing about it.

At the sound of Reinhardt's arrival, though, both of them looked up to the door. "Welcome back," Jesse said, "The trip went well?"

"But of course," Reinhardt answered, moving in to set the bags down on one of the many tables, "The people of Gibraltar are very friendly, even to a 'foreign man on vacation'. They did not even question why he might have need of all of this tape and these office supplies. And speaking of which-"

Smiling widely, Reinhardt held up the art store bag for Rico and Jesse to see. "I believe someone had a request?"

Rico immediately jumped down from his chair and ran across the room, giving Reinhardt a big hug and a 'thank you!' before taking the bag from him. Jesse watched the whole scene from his own chair, leaning against the table and propping his chin up with his mechanical arm. "Don't spoil him too much," he said.

"Santa always comes through with his promises," Reinhardt said, which drew a snicker from Jesse. Of course that big goof of a man would play along with the whole 'Santa' thing, Jesse didn't know why he expected anything less.

"Well, don't leave me in suspense," Jesse said to Rico, "What'd Santa give you?"

Rico came back over to the table, not even trying to hide his glee as he carried the bag with him. Once he was right next to Jesse, he opened the bag to let Jesse peek inside. It was a 24 pack of crayons and a couple books. At least one of them was a coloring book, but the rest looked like they might be blank sketchpads of some sort. "Colorin' stuff, huh," Jesse said, "Guess we'll be decoratin' this old base with your artwork."

"It is true, this place could use some more color," Reinhardt said with a nod, "Do you remember Nelson's family? His oldest was studying to be a painter, and I think a few of her pieces are still hanging throughout the base here."

That was indeed one of the nicer parts about working for Overwatch. They didn't spend money on decorations for the base, as it was considered a waste of resources, but Morrison had always been open to allowing artwork to be made by friends and family of the agents and brought in. Even cheesy kid's drawings was permitted in rooms or personal offices. It added a familial touch to the place. Of course, most of the art had been taken home when Overwatch was disbanded, but that just meant it was time for some redecorating.

Rico seemed to take his new job seriously, too. Already he was at a table and pulling out one of the sketchbooks, flipping it open to the first page. "We'll see what he creates," Jesse said as he watched his son get out the crayons, "Guess I'll have to keep track of it and get him more stuff when he runs out."

Not that he minded too much. As long as he could afford it, he would gladly get anything his son needed.

\---

In the weeks that followed, the Watchpoint slowly began to fill with drawings and pictures. Jesse and Rico's living quarters got the most of it, as Rico would often be coloring there and just hang his pictures up whenever he finished. Some of his art was given to people directly, who all accepted the masterpieces gracefully and displayed them proudly in their rooms or in one of the common spaces. The med bay got several pictures as well, since Rico liked to spend his time there with Angela when Jesse was busy in the training hall or on the shooting range. The dining room also filled up quickly, as did the common room.

Of course, these were all drawings by a five-year-old, and they were about as good as someone would expect them to be. They were mostly scribbles of color, vaguely human-shaped, and just distinct enough to tell who they were of. Jesse's had his metal arm and red serape, so he could always tell which ones were of him. Reinhardt was always the biggest human-shaped scribbling, big and tall and broad and sometimes in a Santa costume. Lena's had a blue circle on her chest, which represented her chrono-accelerator. With Genji, Rico had clearly tried to draw the green circles from his suit on them, but instead of distinct little circles he just drew one green blob in the middle of a grey person. 'Close enough,' Jesse had said to himself with a chuckle the first time he had seen it.

Most of the others were less distinct, so sometimes people had to write names on them after asking Rico who they were of. Angela was in that group, up until Rico saw her in her Valkyrie suit for the first time at least. After that, drawings of her always had angel wings on them, making her one of the more distinct people.

The weirdest ones were of Rico himself, though. He drew himself as he appeared: brown hair, whatever color shirt and pants he was wearing, but then he always put a splash of red in the middle. Jesse didn't get why, as Rico never did that with anyone else (excepting Genji, though his could be explained in other ways). Asking the boy always got a short response of "Rojo" in return. A bit frustrating, because Jesse already knew what color it was, but he decided to let it be. It had to be one of Rico's 'weird kid things', he decided.

\---

"He is coming here today," Genji announced one morning.

The training hall wasn't very full that day. Genji and Jesse were just finishing up, taking the time to clean their weapons before putting them away, and Lena was nearby (though just out of earshot) preparing the room for her own simulations. Jesse glanced up from his work to give Genji his attention. "Who's comin'?"

"My brother," Genji said carefully as he wiped down the blade of his sword, "It took much convincing, but he has finally decided to come see us."

Well then. If Jesse hadn't been paying attention before, then that certainly would have gotten it. "Why? Ain't he dangerous?"

"No more than the rest of us," Genji said, "He is a changed man, Jesse. He won't harm me, nor anyone else here."

"But that don't mean we can trust him," Jesse said, frowning harshly, "Genj, I know you're all about this 'forgive 'n' forget' stuff, but this ain't a good idea. He's just gonna cause trouble." And everyone is going to hate him, he added silently. Genji was their friend first, and while he might have been forgiving of what Hanzo did Jesse was pretty sure nobody else wanted to give him a chance.

In response to Jesse's protests, Genji just sighed. With his blade clean, he stowed it away in its sheath and he stood up. "Just give him a chance," he said finally, "We need the manpower, and he needs to see that there is more to life than what the clan demands of us. You of all people should know what it means to travel a path of redemption."

Jesse absolutely bristled when Genji spoke those last few words. He stood up himself, leaving Peacekeeper in pieces on the table. "Don't go usin' that against me," he said, pointing a finger at Genji accusingly, "You ain't got the right! I was a _kid_ , how old was your brother when he fucked up your body?"

"Barely more than a child himself," Genji said coolly, and with that he started to walk out of the training hall.

Jesse moved to follow, calling out, "Don't just walk away you little shit-" but Genji was gone before he got more than three steps towards the door. Little shit. Of course he would run away after saying something like that.

At that moment, Lena poked her head out from around the doorway to the area she had been standing in. Apparently she had heard that last bit of shouting. "Everything alright, love?"

"Just peachy," Jesse said irritably as he sat back down by Peacekeeper.

\---

As it turned out, Jesse wouldn't have to wait long to meet Hanzo. 

Less than an hour after his talk with Genji in the training room, Jesse was walking the halls of the Watchpoint with Rico. He was on his way to the medbay, actually, as Rico was due for his next round of shots. It had been quite a struggle to separate the boy from his art supplies, but the promise of being able to play around with the stethoscope again seemed to do the trick. Maybe Angela had a point when she suggested that he might be interested in medicine.

Interestingly enough, it was Rico who noticed Hanzo first, not Jesse. As they walked past the doors that led to one of the meeting rooms, Rico stopped suddenly, almost catching Jesse off-guard. "What's wrong sunshine," Jesse asked, looking down at his son.

Rico didn't answer right away. He wasn't even looking at his father. He was staring right at the closed door to the meeting room with an intensity that he rarely displayed. Jesse looked to the door, then to Rico, then back and forth once more, but he couldn't puzzle together what that was supposed to mean. "It's just a meetin' room," he said finally, giving Rico's hand a gentle tug, "C'mon, Angie's waitin' for us."

Instead, Rico pulled his hand away from Jesse entirely and went over to the door. He placed both of his palms flat on the door, and he said "Storm" before smacking the door a couple of times. 

"Buddy, there ain't no storms in the forecast today," Jesse said with a sigh, "And there's nothin' in there, that's for meetings. C'mon."

"Nooooo!" Rico smacked the door again and pulled away when Jesse tried to take a hold of his hand once more.

Jesse made an irritated noise before he said, "You gotta use your words, Rico!" Rare was the time when Jesse couldn't figure out what Rico was trying to say, but he was already on edge from the incident with Genji earlier and the promise of a certain asshole arriving soon, so his 'kiddo-translation' function wasn't working properly.

But even with that assertation, Rico didn't offer much. He just hit the door once more and said, "Gotta go _in_!"

"There's nothing there," Jesse said in annoyance, "It's not in use! Do you gotta see it for yourself to get that? Fine, here ya go!"

He held his palm up to the scanner, and there was a mechanical beep just before the door slid open. Thankfully Rico had enough sense to pull his hands away from the door before it slid open, so there were no worries about pinched fingers or anything.

The room was not as empty as Jesse had thought. Most of the chairs were left alone, but one at the far end of the long conference table was currently occupied. The man didn't look that old, maybe around Jesse's age, though the grey at his temples didn't help much with how old he looked. His clothes were decidedly Japanese-styled, Jesse could tell that much, all in black with some yellow highlights here and there. He couldn't name it, of course, but he at least recognized the country of origin. The man's hair was tied up in a short ponytail, with a long yellow ribbon trailing from it. A complicated-looking bow and a quiver full of arrows lay on the table in front of him, and it looked as though he had been checking over his equipment prior to the disruption.

Because as soon as the door opened, the man's attention was squarely on Jesse and Rico. And in that moment, Jesse could see everything he needed to see about this man. His face, still firm and perpetually frowning after all these years. His eyes, still the most expressive part of him, currently showing his confusion over what he was seeing. And most importantly his tattoo, still there on his arm, dragons as imposing as ever.

It could be a coincidence, he said to himself. Bad timing on the arrival of several people. But he knew that was wrong the moment he thought it. No, there was no way a random yakuza member would both want to join Overwatch and know how to get to the Watchpoint. Anyone who came here had to have already been here before, or have gotten directions from someone else. In the case of the latter, their arrival would be known long before they stepped onto the Watchpoint itself. Said arrivals were told to others too, so they would know not to attack anyone strange in the building. And as far as Jesse knew, there was only one 30-something Japanese man who was supposed to arrive today.

Jesse's breath caught in his throat. There was no way, _no fucking way_ this could be happening. Out of all the men in Hanamura, in all of Japan, it had to be like this? Jesse had intended on being polite but largely ignoring Hanzo as soon as he arrived. There was no way that would be happening now, though. Not with a five-year-old tie holding them together now.

The man—Hanzo—stared for a moment, his eyes wide. Barely audible, he managed to breathe out a single word: "McCree…" 

Then his gaze flicked down to Rico, standing right there next to him. And oh, the expressions his faces showed, they spoke volumes. Confusion. Shock. Disbelief.

Pain.

_Regret_.

God, Jesse's heart ached watching all of that flitter across Hanzo's face in a couple seconds flat. Because just by watching, Jesse could tell that no words needed to be said. No explanations had to be given. In the span of a few seconds, Hanzo was able to piece together everything on his own.

He knew. He fucking _knew_ , and there was no going back from this now.

"Aw hell," Jesse said, his voice barely any louder than Hanzo's had been.

He really needed a drink right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that Jesse's not stupid enough to need someone to tell him that Hanzo is Hanzo. Plus it saves Genji's reaction to all of this for later.
> 
> And what does 'Storm' mean? You'll find out soon enough :)
> 
> But here he is! And you can bet that there's going to be a fun discussion next time. I wanted to include it here, but I realized that there needed to be another 'six years ago' section to explain something first before that talk happened. So you get all of that in the next chapter.
> 
> By the way, this story is going to be in three 'parts', so to speak. Jesse and Hanzo coming to an understanding about what to do in regards to Rico (as well as Rico's dragon appearing) is the first 'part'. All three 'parts' are going to be in this one story here. Currently I have the first part at about 10 chapters total, and that's how much I have written currently. (Originally when I was writing it for the McHanzo Big Bang it was just going to be the first part, but I expanded it a bit whoops.) Expect the updates to still come about once a week through those 10 chapters, and then we'll see if it slows down after that or not. Hopefully not, but we'll see.


	5. Papa and daddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, this chapter is unbetad. Let me know if I missed any mistakes!

**Six years ago**

_The walk in the park came to a rather abrupt end as mother nature decided that the ground needed a drink. The rain didn't start softly, either; one second it way dry, and in the next the pair were sent scrambling for cover as buckets of rain fell down upon them. Even the trees did little to protect them from the rain, it was falling that hard._

_Fortunately, this area of Hanamura had a lot of raised walking paths and bridges, so the two men were able to duck under a walkway and press against a nearby wall to avoid the worst of the rain. Jesse's face was mostly-dry, thanks to the rim of his hat, but the rest of him was soaked through. Even his serape had done little to protect him from the downpour. A quick glance over to his companion told Jesse that he had suffered mostly the same fate, though his face had not been spared in the onslaught. Jesse had to admit, the previously-stoic man looked kinda silly when his beard was dripping wet. He had to suppress a snicker at the sight._

_"I guess that's the end of our little tour," Jesse said, turning away from the man and glancing out at the rain. He had been hoping that it would hold off for at least a little longer, as he wanted to spend more time with this mysterious man, but there wasn't much he could do about that now._

_"Perhaps," the man said, "Or it could be moved indoors."_

_"What, you wanna go catch a movie or somethin'," Jesse said cheekily._

_"It is past midnight. The movie theaters are closed by now." Jesse paused for a moment to glance at his phone, and the '00:37' that glowed back at him indicated that the man was right. It really was starting to get late._

_"So it is," Jesse said, staring at the screen for a little longer. There was a little notification in the corner, one showing that he had an email to read, but he would check that later. It probably wasn't anything important, Jesse usually only got spam emails now. "I guess this is where we part ways then? I imagine you've got people to get home to." As much as Jesse wanted to take this man back to his hotel room for some fun, he was pretty sure he hadn't done enough charming for that._

_"No," the man said, and when Jesse glanced up to him he saw that the man was decidedly looking away from Jesse, and out at the rain as it fell over the city. "My family is long gone, there is nobody waiting up for me. I can stay out as late as I wish without anyone worrying."_

_Something about the way the man said that made him frown. "No wife? Kids?"_

_The man snorted. "Do you think I would be out in a park holding hands with a stranger if I had a wife to go home to?"_

_Jesse shrugged and said, "I dunno, some guys do that kinda stuff. But if I had to guess, I'd say you're more honorable than that."_

_"There is nothing honorable about me," the man said sharply, but a moment later his face contorted in pain for a moment before relaxing. "…I am sorry, you do not deserve such harshness."_

_Jesse slipped the phone back into his pocket as he said, "Now c'mon honeybee, at least give me some credit. If I'm talkin' about stuff you don't wanna think about, just tell me."_

_"It is of no concern," the man said, "I have no wife or children, and I plan on keeping things that way. My family line will end with me." Finally, the man turned his gaze back on Jesse. "Is that a sufficient answer?"_

_It was a dramatic answer, to be sure, but Jesse decided not to say that. Instead, he decided to turn the discussion away from that conversational mis-step, and back towards the distraction they both could possibly use. Maybe it wasn't too late for Jesse to get a bed partner for the night after all, if this man was so eager for something to clear his thoughts for the next few hours. "Well, if you're not up for goin' home yet, maybe it's time for me to give you a little tour."_

_The man gave Jesse a wry grin, clearly accepting Jesse's change of topic. "Is that so?"_

_"Yep! You wouldn't believe the sights at the Cho-something-or-other hotel," he said, playing things up a bit with a dramatic whirl of his hand, one that got a chuckle out of the man, "Clean bedspread, old-ass TV, a working shower, and a lovely view of the street! It's something you gotta see at least once."_

_"It is fortunate for you that you are quite the charmer," the man said. He clearly doubted Jesse's words, but he seemed willing to go along with it for the time being. Maybe he really wanted that distraction from his problems after all. "Very well then. Show me this 'Cho-something-or-other hotel.'"_

_"Jesse grinned and gave the man a little nod, tipping his hat towards him as he did so. "Try to keep up, darlin'. We're gonna have to run to keep from getting too wet."_

_Though he imagined that wet clothes wouldn't be much of a problem soon._

\---

**Present day**

Doctor Angela Ziegler, callsign "Mercy", ran a tight ship in her med bay. She ran a tight ship anywhere she worked, if she was being truthful, but it was especially true of any clinic or hospital room she considered 'hers'. Things had to be cleaned and maintained to her specifications, and work needed to be done on time. 'Time' wasn't as much of an issue right now, with less than two-dozen people to keep healthy and happy, but her old habits from when she was in charge of the healthcare for hundreds of soldiers still remained.

So, while there were no pressing time constraints to work with at the moment, Angela was still annoyed by the fact that Jesse was running late. He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago, and she was getting tired of waiting. The examination room was already set up with all the shots Rico needed, and she didn't want to delve too deeply into any of her reports while she waited, lest she get distracted and forget something when she was pulled away from that work to administer the shots.

Tapping her foot lightly against the tile floor, Angela weighed her options. She could have Athena send Jesse a reminder, just in case he had forgotten, but Jesse might take that as nagging. He usually did, if her memory served her correctly. Not that Jesse was intentionally rude—he actually went out of his way to be nice to his fellow betas, since they usually got the short end of the stick in most areas—but he could be snippy when he felt like he was being attacked. 'Gentle' reminders rarely worked on him for that reason.

Still, she did have a lot of work to do, and these delays were keeping her from that work. So she reached for her communicator and was about to call Athena to send a message on to Jesse, which meant that she was not entirely paying attention to the door and jumped slightly when it suddenly slid open.

"Hey Angie," Jesse said, speaking quickly as he guided a rather confused-looking Rico into the medbay, "Look, somethin' came up and I gotta handle it _right now_ , can you give Rico his shots and keep an eye on him for a bit?"

Angela was instantly flustered by the request. Rico was a good kid, but she was a doctor, not a babysitter! So she gave Jesse a stern look as she said, "Agent McCree, I have other work to attend to today-"

"Great, he'll stay outta your way," Jesse said, interrupting her. Then he patted Rico on the head and said, "Be good Mijo, I'll be back soon."

"Wait, Jesse-" But Angela's protests were cut off as Jesse hurried out of the medbay, leaving Angel and Rico behind. 

Annoyed, Angela made a 'tch' noise before glancing down at Rico. "I suppose you don't have an explanation for what's going on?"

"Storm's here," Rico said simply.

'Of course not', Angela said silently to herself. Even Jesse himself had trouble decoding Rico's sentences sometimes, she didn't know why she even asked.

But Rico had already moved on to the medical supplies cabinet, and he was opening it to go through everything. He always did that any time he paid a visit. "Long phone," he asked, peeking around the door of the cabinet to look at Angela. 

Angela smiled softly as she felt her annoyance melt away. She would be sure to give Jesse a lecture later, but it was hard to stay mad in the moment. None of this was Rico's fault, after all. What good would staying mad do? "It's a stethoscope," she said, stepping over and grabbing one from a top shelf so she could hand it to Rico, "Remember to use the right names."  
"Steth-o-scope," Rico said slowly, rolling the sounds over in his mouth before nodding. Then he grabbed the tool and promptly ran off with it, probably to go look for 'patients' to try it out on.

"Examination room one, if you will," Angela called out as she reached for her data pad. If she was going to play babysitter for a bit, then she might as well get some work done too.

\---

With Rico temporarily taken care of—because really, that boy didn't need to hear the shitstorm that was about to happen—Jesse turned back around and walked back down the hall, away from the medbay and back towards where he had left Hanzo standing. He hadn't expected to ever need to have this talk, but then again he really shouldn't have been surprised. Life had a weird way of doing the most unexpected things sometimes. And in response to those unexpected things, Jesse just had to keep his chin up and not let anything knock him flat on his ass. Even if that 'anything' was a one-night-stand that suddenly had a much more permanent spot in his life.

Fortunately the archer had followed him, so he didn't have to walk all the way back to the meeting room to gather him for their 'friendly discussion'. No, he was able to just grab Hanzo's arm and drag him into a nearby room, which happened to be an unused office of some sort. Dust had settled over the desk and knocked-over chair, making the room smell musty. But it would do for now, Jesse only needed to use it long enough to tell Hanzo how things were going to be.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, Jesse whirled on Hanzo and pointed a finger accusingly at him as he said, "Now listen here: I know this ain't what either of us expected-"

Hanzo interrupted Jesse with a snort, and followed that up with, "'Unexpected' is an understatement. I distinctly remember you telling me that you were not fertile outside of your heats, McCree."

"I ain't," Jesse said defensively, "But then some hot-shot Alpha decided to have his rut near me."

"It was one night, not several days. There shouldn't have been enough time for it to trigger a heat in you." It looked like Jesse wasn't the only one getting defensive, at least. Both men were squared up to each other, arms crossed and chests puffed out just a little bit. Such behavior might have been expected of two alphas, but certainly not an alpha and a beta. Betas generally had no reason to posture like that.

But this situation wasn't one a beta would normally end up in, was it? No, this was unique, and Jesse felt like he had to stand his ground here. So he said, "Well playin' the blame game ain't gonna help here. Even if it's all your fault, nobody's gonna know that."

"It is _not_ all my fault," Hanzo snapped, but after a moment of tight silence between the two men he said, "Why would nobody know about it? It is impossible to deny the existence of a child."

"That's not what I mean," Jesse said, "Rico's still gonna be here, but he's my kid. We went all this time not knowin' who his other daddy was, and we'll be fine if it stays that way."

Hanzo didn't seem to know how to respond at first. He gave Jesse a confused look, and he started to say something along the lines of 'what are you talking about', but that sentence quickly died off in favor of a firmer glare and harsher words. "You want me to act like he is not mine?"

"First off: he ain't yours. I raised him, he's mine. So let's get that clear right away. Second-" Jesse jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, indicating to the door behind him. "-It's better if they don't know. Genji's my best friend. How d'you think he'll react to findin' out his best bud slept with his brother?" He just barely left off the 'murderous, traitorous, bastard of a brother' part, but the venom was still present in his words.

That certainly seemed to be a surprise for Hanzo, and the way the man looked hurt for a moment before glancing away made Jesse wonder if he had taken it a step too far. It was enough to push back the anger a bit, and to make Jesse consider actually apologizing for being rude with his words. But before he could speak up, Hanzo was speaking again, saying, "He would not take that well, no."

Jesse hesitated for a moment before he said, "That settles it then. Nobody knows, we go on like we didn't know each other before now."

But that frown was back, and Hanzo's gaze was back on Jesse. "That is not what I meant."

"Oh come on," Jesse said, his exasperation poking up again, "You didn't even want kids in the first place!"

"You are right, I didn't. But now there is one, and I need to take responsibility for that." Hanzo's words were firm, determined. It reminded Jesse of the man he had met six years ago, and it made something in his gut stir. Something he decided to ignore for the moment, because he definitely didn't need those lingering feelings to come back right now.

"Like I said, you don't have to," Jesse said finally, "I've got it under control. You can go back to bein' broody or whatever it is you do-"

"No, I can't," Hanzo said firmly, interrupting Jesse, "Not now. I won't shirk my responsibility like that."

God, it was like trying to talk to a brick wall! Jesse made an irritated noise as he rubbed at his temple with his non-mechanical hand. "Look, I get the feelin' that you're the noble type, but interferin' here's just gonna make things worse."

"If it will, then so be it. I am not going to be one of those deadbeat fathers who-"

Hanzo didn't get a chance to finish that sentence, because it died on his lips as both men heard a 'thunk' just outside the door. They both stood there for a moment, staring at the door, before Jesse finally took the two steps over to it and opened it.

On the other side was Lena and Genji, both of whom were so close to the door they were practically leaning on it. As soon as the door was opened, though, both of them backed up immediately and tried to look like they absolutely weren't eavesdropping on the conversation. Lena at least had the presence of mind to look sheepish too; Jesse wasn't sure if Genji was as well, because of the visor, but knowing that damn ninja he probably felt no shame whatsoever.

The next words out of Genji's mouth pretty much confirmed that thought too. "So…what's this about Hanzo being a father?"

Lena immediately elbowed Genji, who in turn said 'ow!' and scooted away from her. "We weren't trying to listen, honest," she said, "But you two are really loud, you know?"

"So instead of walkin' past, you came up and leaned in," Jesse said, crossing his arms in front of him as he frowned down at the pair. God, what was he going to do now? There was no way this was going to stay quiet.

"It's for the best," Genji said, shrugging a little, "Hanzo is bad at keeping secrets. Besides, he is right-"

"Now is _not the time_ Genj," Jesse hissed out, just barely managing to keep his voice (and subsequently, his temper) under control.

"Yes, now is a terrible time, isn't it," Lena said quickly. Her hand slipped down to grab Genji's as she kept talking, saying, "In fact, why don't we give you two some space right now-"

And like that she was gone, dragging a protesting Genji along with her. Jesse blinked, staring at the space where the two of them had just been standing. He hadn't even had the chance to tell the pair not to tell anyone else. He was sure everyone on base would know by dinnertime.

Hanzo hadn't left his spot by the desk, but now that Lena and Genji were gone, he felt the need to speak again. "Do you still think you can keep this a secret?"

Frustrated, Jesse ran a hand down his face. He did want to, yes, but it seemed like everyone in the world was against him. "Just- let me tell Rico," he said finally, "I ain't ever told him 'bout you."

"Well I should hope not, given the circumstances of his conception," Hanzo said flatly.

"Shit, I don't even know if he's old enough for that talk yet," Jesse muttered under his breath. He was going to have to think of a kid-friendly way of saying 'Papa slept with a guy six years ago and that's how you were born'.

"You don't have to tell him _everything_ , just that he has another father." 

It was the logical answer, Jesse knew that Hanzo was speaking the truth. But still, he was reluctant to do that. Partially because of safety concerns, because this was still the guy who had nearly killed Genji. Jesse didn't know Hanzo well enough to know if he would be a danger to Rico or not. But even overlooking that part, Jesse didn't want Rico to have another parent. It was tough sometimes, but Jesse had grown used to being the one to make all the decisions about Rico. Now with Hanzo in the picture, he was afraid that he would lose that control, that Hanzo would become the parent who made all the decisions. 

Or, even worse, that Rico might end up liking Hanzo more, and that Jesse would become the 'second best dad'. 

Jesse didn't know if he could handle a heart-crushing thought like that becoming a reality.

\---

Jesse tried to put it off. 'Later' he had said, and Hanzo had left it at that. After all, there was much to do for Hanzo to get settled into the base, so the whole 'hey Rico, this is your other dad' conversation could be shelved temporarily. That was Jesse's logic about it, at least.

But in reality, he held off on it for nearly four days, much longer than he probably should have. Hanzo did have a right to at least see his own son, even if they were in monitored visits. But Jesse was still reluctant to allow that, fearing the worst could happen. 'The worst' being Rico getting hurt, of course. Hanzo being the favored parent was a worry too, but that was secondary to Rico's safety.

"You have to tell him," Genji said, leaning against one of the counters in Jesse's kitchen. Jesse had been a bit more reclusive in the last few days, so Genji had gone seeking him out instead of waiting for the cowboy to find him.

Jesse was busy attempting to make some kind of a meal out of the food he had found in the fridge (ground beef, broccoli, peppers, and rice), so he kept stirring the frying pan as he listened to Genji talk. He did answer a few times, but he was largely silent, listening to Genji carry on instead of making it a real conversation between them. Which was a huge change from how things normally went between them, because they could both talk for days if they got going.

Sensing Jesse was remaining quiet on purpose, Genji continued to talk. "It's not just for Hanzo's sake, you know. Rico deserves to know that he has two parents. Besides, it means that I'm really his uncle now!"

"You were always his uncle, Genj," Jesse chided gently.

"Yes, but now I am his blood-uncle," Genji said excitedly, "Now that I know he is part-ninja, I can teach him all of the cool tricks! Watch, I'll have him climbing walls before he's six."

Jesse snorted at that. He could absolutely picture Genji running around with Rico on his back, though. Hell, he trusted Genji enough to let him do that if he really wanted. "Just make sure he doesn't fall," Jesse said, "He ain't a cyborg, we can't just put him back together if his arm falls off."

"That only happened once," Genji said, holding up a single finger to emphasize his point.

"What about that time in Norway-"

"Okay, twice," Genji said irritably, "But it's fine, I won't let him fall."

Satisfied with how thoroughly cooked his Frankenstein of a meal was, Jesse pulled the frying pan off of the hot burner and moved it to another part of the stove. "You gonna eat," he asked. 

"Seeing as how I don't have to eat anymore, I think I'll spare my taste buds this time," Genji said cheekily.

"Laugh it up, ninja boy," Jesse said as he jabbed his wooden spoon in Genji's direction, "I know it don't look like much, but I make a mean meal outta everythin' I touch."

"It certainly does look 'mean'," Genji said with a laugh, and he pushed himself away from the counter. He also took a moment to remove the faceplate from his helmet, exposing his face to the world. It was a choice he frequently made while in the comfort of a private location like this. Partially for comfort, and partially for the sake of keeping peace; Rico didn't really like it when Genji covered his face like he normally did. The scars didn't scare off the boy, but the metal did apparently.

Speaking of little scaredy-cats, Rico was in the living room, hanging up his latest artistic creation on the wall. While Jesse made up plates for himself and Rico, leaving a bit in the pan in case Genji changed his mind, Genji went over to check on the latest drawing. Rico looked up once he heard Genji walking over, and then he smiled widely before returning to taping up the picture.

It was pretty easy to identify who everyone was, now that Genji had learned to match up certain people with certain colors. Rico was there in the middle of it, with Jesse off to one side. On the other side was a relatively new figure, but it was one that Genji could figure out pretty quickly. Only one person wore black clothes and tied their hair up with a yellow ribbon, after all. The splotch of blue on that figure's chest was unexpected, though. It was similar to how Rico always drew a circle of green on any pictures of Genji, or how he always drew a circle of red on pictures of himself. Just a little dot of color in the very center of the person's chest. Hanzo's was slightly different, though, because instead of just a dot of blue it was actually two shades of blue drawn right next to each other. It looked almost like Rico had tried to draw a swirly symbol, but that he lacked the fine motor controls to do it just right.

"What's this," Genji said, tapping his finger on the blue dots.

"Storm," Rico said simply.

"Storm," Genji said, raising an eyebrow at Rico, "a storm? With rain, thunder, and lightning?"

Rico nodded enthusiastically. "It's a big storm," he said, "But they hide, very shy."

"…huh," Genji said thoughtfully, but left it at that.

"Food's up," Jesse called from the table.

Rico instantly got up and ran over to the table, scrambling into his seat without much effort. Jesse and Rico were done saying 'grace' by the time Genji walked over to the table, pulling up a third chair despite his intentions not to eat. He watched Jesse and Rico eat for a moment, mulling over just what he should say. "Jesse," he said finally, speaking his words carefully so as not to upset the cowboy in front of him, "Rico just hung up a new picture today."

"Did he now," Jesse said, and he reached over to riffle Rico's hair a bit, " 's not surprisin', he's a little artist."

"He is," Genji said, "In fact, I think you should take that picture with you when you have 'that conversation'." He didn't bother specifying which conversation, because Jesse already knew what he was referring to.

"Izzat so," Jesse said, speaking lightly though he was clearly regarding Genji cautiously.

"Yes, Hanzo would like to see it, I think," Genji said. He left it at that, though. He had a guess as to why those pictures looked as they did, but it wasn't his place to just come out and tell Jesse. He wouldn't believe him even if he did that anyway. No, Jesse was going to have to see it for himself to accept it. The best Genji could do was get the ball rolling in that direction.

\---

After that weird conversation with Genji, Jesse decided to just swallow down his worries and get this over with. Pissing Hanzo off by delaying things further probably wouldn't help in the long run, not if he had to put up with this guy for, at a minimum, the next thirteen years of his life. So after a quick message to Hanzo to make sure he was up for it, Jesse walked Rico down the hall to where Hanzo was staying. 

Hanzo had snagged one of the small single-rooms, but it appeared that he hadn't had much of a chance for decorating yet. The room was clean, almost unnaturally so, and the only evidence that someone actually lived in it was the fact that he had carefully placed his bow and archery supplies on top of the small dresser. Otherwise the room looked just like a well-maintained hotel room, and somehow Jesse got the feeling that it wasn't just because Hanzo had only been on base a few days at this point.

Rico, of course, was already snooping around as soon as the door opened. He didn't run into the room or anything, but as soon as he spotted it his eyes remained on that bow, clearly enamored by it. Jesse figured he would try picking it up before this whole' meet and greet' was done. 

Speaking of which… "Hey, Mijo."

Rico looked up to Jesse, eyes wide with curiosity. Jesse placed a hand gently at Rico's back, and he said, "This guy here, you remember him right?"

Rico nodded, and he said, "Storm's home."

Hanzo, who had previously been watching Rico closely, looked up to Jesse with a confused look on his face. Jesse just shrugged in response. Even he didn't understand Rico's words sometimes. "Yeah, it's the guy we saw a few days ago. Well, y'see…"

Jesse glanced between Rico and Hanzo once more before speaking again. "Y'know how I'm your papa? Well, Hanzo here's your daddy too."

It was a simple explanation, one without all the detail Jesse had been trying to cram into it. He wanted to explain that it was just a blood thing, that it was just a once-off meeting, that it didn't mean Rico _had_ to like Hanzo or anything. But ultimately, he just didn't include it. Those explanations could come later, when Rico was older and could understand it better. All he needed to know now was that he had a papa and a daddy, but that papa was the better one.

Rico watched Hanzo, staring at him intently. It was hard to tell if he actually understood what Jesse was trying to say or not. The silence stretched on for a moment, becoming just a little uncomfortable as nobody moved to speak up. Eventually Jesse gave Hanzo a little nod, and Hanzo nodded in return before crouching down to Rico's level. "Hello," he said.

"Hi," Rico said, surprisingly being nowhere near as shy as he usually was during introductions.

"I…" Hanzo trailed off for a moment, clearly unsure of what to say. It was kind of weird, actually, to see such a normally-stoic man falter like that. But eventually he came back around, and he said, "It is an honor to meet you."

Rico suddenly reached out, catching both Jesse and Hanzo off-guard. He grabbed onto Hanzo's left hand with both of his, and he gave it a little shake, like he was trying to give Hanzo a handshake. "Howdy," he said, grinning widely.

That brought a small smile to Hanzo's face, and Jesse himself also found it difficult not to grin. Leave it to his kid to be so friendly.

Rico didn't let go of Hanzo's hand, though. Instead, once he was done shaking it, he peered down at the tattoo on it. Hanzo had switched out his traditional garb for a t-shirt and jeans, so almost the entirety of his tattoo was visible. So Rico studied it for a moment, and he said "Storm" once more before reaching up with one of his hands and patting Hanzo on the forearm.

"Indeed, it does look like a storm," Hanzo said with a chuckle. 

But the amusement was short-lived, because a moment after that the tattoo started to glow slightly, something which brought a frown to Hanzo's face. Jesse put his hand on Rico's shoulder more firmly, and he was about to pull Rico back—because really, he had no idea if this dragon stuff made tattoos glow or not—but before he could do so the slight glow turned into a much brighter flash. Then, a moment later, a pair of small, blue dragons were perched on Hanzo's arm. 

They weren't particularly large, these two. They didn't even look like they were entirely there, as if they were made out of pure light or something. But they seemed to be solid, or at least solid enough that Jesse could make out the slight indentations of feet on Hanzo's arms. They were of similar size, both being about three feet long and really skinny, but they were slightly different shades of blue. One of them was a light blue, closer to an aqua, whereas the other was more of a medium blue. They otherwise looked identical, so the difference in color was very helpful for telling them apart.

Rico practically shrieked in delight when he saw the dragons. He immediately held his hands out to them, letting them smell him. Then the two dragons began to chirp and chatter in some bizarre dragon-speak, something that sounded more like a mix of the sounds that a ferret and a fox would make. Whatever they were saying, they were clearly excited to see Rico.

"What the everloving _fuck_ ," was all Jesse managed to say.

"They are just dragons," Hanzo said, shifting his arms and allowing his dragons to curl their bodies around his arm, giving them more stability, "They will not harm anyone in this form. Though it is surprising, usually they are shy."

" 'Just dragons', he says," Jesse said, not making an effort to hide his exasperation, "As if that's totally normal."

"They are normal for a Shimada," Hanzo said, casting a frown in Jesse's direction, "You are friends with my brother, are you not? So surely you have seen Midori before."

"That ain't the problem-" Jesse stopped suddenly as he was struck by a thought. Or a memory of a few weeks ago, to be exact. "…Midori?"

"That is his dragon's name," Hanzo answered. By now he wasn't paying attention to Rico at all, who was busy petting the dragons sitting on Hanzo's forearms. He was entirely focused on Jesse. "They all have names. The lighter-colored one here is 'Lightning', and the darker one is 'Thunder.'" He must have felt that translating the names was easier than just saying the names in Japanese, if only to get his point across. 

"Storm," Rico said enthusiastically.

Jesse felt his stomach drop. No, this couldn't be happening. 

He carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out the folded drawing from earlier, the one Genji had told him to bring. He unfolded it and looked at the picture, at Hanzo in particular in the picture.

The two bits of blue on the drawing, right in the middle of Hanzo's chest. They were a lighter blue and a darker blue. The same colors of blue as the dragons in front of him.

It just couldn't be true, but…

"Hey, Rico."

Rico paused in his petting of the dragons and looked up at Jesse.

"Is Rojo here, right now?"

Rico nodded.

Jesse swallowed roughly. "Can you show him to me?"

Rico let go of Hanzo's dragons and he put his hands up to his own chest. A moment later he pulled them away, and as he did so his chest started to glow a soft red color. It took a moment, and Rico was clearly focused intently on his hands as that moment passed, but soon enough something began to materialize in his hands. It was nowhere near as solid or 'real' as Hanzo's dragons were, but it was definitely there. It was about a foot long, more translucent than solid, and its edges seemed a little fuzzy too. But it was still clear enough for Jesse to see just what had happened.

Rico had pulled a little red dragon right out of his goddamn chest.

The drawing dropped to the ground as Jesse's hands grew slack. He heard Hanzo suck in a sharp breath, but he didn't pay attention to anything else after that. He felt like he was going to be sick. His son, _his baby boy_ , he was wrapped up in all this dragon bullshit as well.

There was no denying it now, that dragon was more than enough proof: Rico had the blood of the Shimadas running through his veins, and there was no way he would be able to escape that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is about the halfway point for part one! There should be 5-6 chapters left.
> 
> Also, take note of the tag changes. Part one is going to be largely pre-relationship for Jesse and Hanzo.


	6. Spite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some not-quite-NSFW content in the flashback at the beginning.

**Six years ago**

_It wasn't until the man's coat and shirt were on the floor that Jesse realized just how handsome his partner was._

_Sure, he had seen signs of it before. The man's face certainly was attractive. But the bulk of his everything had been hidden by that coat, and now that it was off…well, Jesse was pleased with the results, to be sure. The tattoo was nice too, though Jesse had almost overlooked it because he had been distracted by just how buff this guy was. He probably had Jesse himself beat, and Jesse liked to think that he was in shape._

_And the scent, the_ scent _…goddamn. Being a beta, Jesse wasn't normally one to get wrapped up in scents. He could tell if someone was an alpha or an omega, or even if they were using concealers. But it wasn't usually more than an 'oh, that's what they are' kind of thing. This man, though. This man's scent was musky and strong in a way that only an alpha could be. Jesse had to fight to keep himself from shoving his face into the man's neck and inhaling, that's how wonderful he smelled. It stirred up something in Jesse that he had thought was long-dormant, a primal urge to just hold him and rub against him. It wasn't a heat, Jesse definitely knew what those felt like, but it was something._

_Jesse was sure that his own scent was giving him away too, if the smirk on the man's face was anything to go by._

_"Nice," Jesse said from his sitting spot on the bed, giving the man a once-over. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "The tattoo's pretty great too."_

_That drew a snort from the man, who stood in front of the bed Jesse was sitting on. "And here I thought you were only interested in this," he said, tapping his tattooed forearm._

_"Well at first, yeah," Jesse admitted, "That coat sure didn't let ya show anything off. But now…" He trailed off there, giving a low whistle of approval after a few moments._

_The man seemed to like the attention, even if he was trying to act cool about it. Amusement danced in his eyes as he crossed his arms in front of him, possibly showing off his arm muscles a little bit. Maybe. "I believe you said you had something to share," he said, the end of his sentence lilting up as if it were a question, though Jesse knew it wasn't actually a question._

_With a grin, Jesse unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, and then he pulled it off entirely. His hat and serape had been dumped on the dresser top some time ago, left somewhere safe so they didn't get wrinkled. The shirt, however, ended up dumped on the ground, leaving Jesse as topless as his guest. Jesse's front was not tattooed, though, so that just earned Jesse a raised eyebrow, as if to say 'well? Where is it?'_

_Jesse leaned back and then rolled over on the bed, using his elbows to prop himself up. On his back was a rather large spread of red roses, one that took up his shoulders and most of the upper part of his back. In the middle was a long ribbon that said 'Rosa Maria Perez', with the dates '1984-2053' written underneath it. Jesse had gotten this one done many years ago, back during the best days of Blackwatch, but even years later it looked as good as when he had first gotten it. It had been worth it to pay a little extra for a good tattoo artist._

_Jesse peered over his shoulder at the man behind him, who had a curious look on his face as he studied the tattoo. He stepped closer, and eventually sat down on the side of the bed, close enough that he could practically reach out and touch it if he tried. "A memorial," he asked curiously._

_"Yep," Jesse said casually, "For my gran. Ma 'n' Pa were always busy at work, so she practically raised me. She was a tough ol' bird, survived the Omnic Crisis 'n' everythin'."_

_The man reached out, pressing his hand against Jesse's back gently. He ran his thumb over one part in particular, though Jesse couldn't quite see what it was over his shoulder. "Perez…not McCree?"_

_"Ma's maiden name," Jesse explained, pushing his shoulders up a bit to lean into the man's touch, "McCree's my Pa's name."_

_"It is a nice memorial," The man said, his thumb still running over that spot on Jesse's back. It wasn't a particularly sensual touch, but given how touch-starved and scent-drunk Jesse already was, it was making his skin buzz in pleasant ways. Ways that were starting to get Jesse worked up._

_"Yeah, well, rememberin' the past is important," Jesse said, trying to sound calmer than he actually felt right then. He turned his body slightly, propping himself up on one arm so that he was turned towards the man. The man's hand moved from Jesse's back to his shoulder, but still remained on him. "Especially when it comes to family. People don't really die until they're forgotten, y'know? So havin' a reminder, that helps."_

_The man nodded, and then he leaned in and kissed Jesse's shoulder, which drew a shiver from him. "I can think of a few better places for that," Jesse said cheekily._

_"I am sure you can," the man said, and he moved up to give Jesse the kiss he had actually been looking for._

_Smiling into the kiss, Jesse leaned back just a little more, giving him the room he needed to slip his free arm around the man's shoulders. Then, as they kissed in a slow, languid fashion, Jesse pulled the man down to meet him on the bed._

\---

**Present day**

"Jesse, just calm down-"

"Calm down? How the hell can I calm down?!" 

Jesse swung his arm out wide, indicating to the scene on the other side of the room. Rico was sitting there, buried in a pile of dragons. Hanzo's dragons were still there, as was Genji's, now that Genji had joined the two of them in this important discussion. Rico's dragon was there sometimes, but it seemed to have trouble with staying materialized. It would flit in and out of existence, joining in on the fun of playing 'tag' around Rico while the boy watched in wonder, only to disappear and then reappear again a few moments later. 

The three men, for their part, were trying to keep the conversation quiet. They couldn't send Rico off to another room, since Hanzo's living quarters were just one large room, but hopefully with enough space and plenty of dragons to distract the boy he wouldn't pick up on the conversation that the adults were having. If Jesse could keep his voice down, at least.

After indicating to Rico, Jesse continued to speak, saying, "Just look at that! There's a damn fuzzy snake livin' under my kid's skin!"

It was hard to see Genji's facial expression, but fortunately his body language spoke volumes. He crossed his arms in front of him and leaned a little to one side as he said, "This isn't the first time you have seen a dragon."

"No, but if he starts spoutin' some 'ryuu ga dragon fire bullshit' then I'm gonna kick both of your Shimada asses!" Jesse pointed at both Genji and Hanzo accusingly, as if this was entirely their fault. In at least one case it actually was, but Hanzo didn't look like he was about to take responsibility for this either.

"'Dragon fire bullshit'," Genji repeated in a flat tone, "Well, I guess that isn't entirely inaccurate."

"It won't hurt him," Hanzo added, "Dragons don't hurt their own humans. And with proper training, he will learn to keep from hurting others with it too."

Training. That's right, his boy would have to learn how to control this power. 

"This is too much y'all," Jesse said finally, running a hand over his face in frustration, "I can't- This is my kid we're talkin' about! He ain't even old enough for school yet, and already we're talkin' about trainin'."

"He has to be trained," Hanzo said firmly, and Genji nodded in agreement. "The dragons are a powerful tool, but they can also be dangerous. How do you think he would feel if he accidentally hurt someone?"

Jesse had to think about that for a moment. He couldn't even imagine Rico hurting someone, on accident or otherwise. That boy was just too gentle, he couldn't picture him doing anything to harm someone else. But maybe that was why the two Shimada brothers had a point, he reasoned silently. Rico would never hurt someone on purpose, but accidents could happen. An accident like that would rip Rico's heart in two, Jesse was sure of that. He was just too kind-hearted for his own good.

"I know! I just…it's too soon, y'know? It feels like just yesterday I was holdin' him in my arms, all fresh 'n' new to the world." At some point, Jesse's gaze had drifted over to Rico. Midori was perched on Rico's head, and he was taking swipes at Lightning, who was curled up on Rico's shoulder. "He's still a kid, I can't ask him to grow up that fast."

"McCree," Hanzo started to say testily, but he stopped suddenly. Jesse glanced over, and he saw that Genji had placed a hand on Hanzo's shoulder. That seemed to take all of the fight out of Hanzo, who just sighed before starting again. "Five isn't _that_ young. I began my training at about that age as well."

"But I didn't start until I was nearly seven," Genji pointed out, "Rico isn't being groomed to be the next head of a yakuza clan, anija. His dragon isn't even fully formed yet. Surely it can be delayed for a little while? At least until his dragon can completely manifest?"

Hanzo's gaze was now on Genji, and Jesse almost felt like he was being excluded from this conversation at that point. He opened his mouth to speak up, but instead of saying his mind he paused, and he waited. He wasn't sure what was going on between the two brothers, but something told him that it was important.

Hanzo said something in Japanese, something that Jesse couldn't quite pick up. His Japanese was rusty by this point, and Hanzo was speaking quickly enough that he couldn't parse the words properly. When Genji responded, he also spoke in Japanese, but his words were slower, calmer. Jesse was able to pick out 'you don't know that' and 'Japan is far away', but that was it. Hanzo responded once more, once again speaking so quickly that Jesse couldn't get it, but he did get that it was a question based on the 'ka?' at the end of what he had said. And to answer Hanzo, Genji just nodded.

Finally the two seemed to remember that Jesse was also there, and Hanzo looked to him once more. "We will wait until the dragon is fully formed," Hanzo declared, "There is little point in attempting anything now, as he will have to relearn it later. Instead, the focus should be on academic studies. It will have to be done electronically, but tutors can be arranged for him, seeing as how there are no local schools he could attend."

Jesse's temper began to flare up again. "I don't much appreciate you makin' plans for _my_ son," he said, putting particular emphasis on the word 'my', "I already got plans for his education, so I'd appreciate it if you'd step off and let me handle it."

Something in Hanzo's demeanor shifted then. Jesse couldn't quite tell why, but the previous patience was gone now. Was Jesse the first person to ever tell Hanzo 'no'? He had to be, if this was how he was taking everything. The absolute venom in Hanzo's voice when he spoke made Jesse even surer of this point. "He is _my_ son as well, and I have a say in his education. And, seeing as how you are a disheveled vagabond, my connections will better serve him than yours will."

He was looking down on him. That snooty motherfucker was _looking down on him_. 

It all happened in a flash. Jesse's anger burned white-hot through his veins, igniting a powder-keg of pure rage in him that he hadn't thought was even there anymore. Without even thinking, he shifted his feet and pulled back his left fist, fingers clenched tightly. 

The only thing that saved Hanzo's pretty face from being smashed in by Jesse's metal fist was the fact that Genji was faster than him. When Jesse swung, Genji moved to his side and grabbed his arm, stopping his fist mere inches before it hit Hanzo's face. Infuriatingly enough, Hanzo didn't even blink at the movement.

"Perhaps we should shelve this discussion for another day," Genji said tactfully, holding onto Jesse's arm firmly but talking as if nothing were wrong whatsoever, "Maybe when prying eyes aren't watching, hmm?"

Jesse immediately looked over to where Rico and the dragons were. All four of them (five if you counted Rojo, who only partially counted anyway since he wasn't there all the time) had stopped playing around, and their eyes were solely on the three adults. The dragons all had their heads tilted to the side, like little puppies who were curious to hear more. Rico, on the other hand, looked extremely worried. Jesse recognized that look: it was the same one he got whenever someone raised their voice, or whenever someone tries to cause trouble for Jesse. It was one step below 'scared' on the Rico-o-meter, and that, more than anything Genji had said, was enough to get Jesse to calm down.

Jesse pulled his arm away from Genji, who let go as soon as Jesse pulled. Then he strode past Hanzo and Genji, ignoring both men entirely. He didn't stop until he was crouched down near Rico, a smile planted firmly on his face. "Why don'tcha tell me about your little buddies here," he said, reaching out to give Midori a little scratch under the chin.

Discussions of Rico's future and of punching Hanzo could wait until later, when said kid wasn't here to watch his dad beat the shit out of that asshole. 

\---

Jesse made absolutely no attempt to hide his dislike of Hanzo.

He didn't need to, thankfully. The snooty Shimada heir was able to make his own enemies on base even without knowing how he had insulted Jesse. By the end of the week, even Lena was pretty much done with his attitude. Which was saying something, because Lena was one of the most tolerable people in all of Overwatch, past or present. It was very hard to get on her bad side, but somehow Hanzo had managed it.

"I just don't get him," she said grumpily one morning, as she and Jesse prepared to use the training room, "Why does he think he gets to make demands here? We're all in this together, we all have to make sacrifices!"

"What did he want this time," Jesse said casually as he checked his fast-loaders, making sure the bullets were secure in them.

"Tea," Lena said, "He wanted bloody tea! I told him I had plenty, but he turned his nose up at it! 'Not his brand,' he said. What's wrong with Earl Grey? I even have it in black AND green!"

Jesse knew nothing about tea, but if it was enough to get Lena worked up, then it had to be important. Besides that, Jesse was at the point where he would take any opportunity to talk shit about the un-favorite Shimada. "I guess there's no accountin' for taste," he said with a chuckle.

"I have to know, what did you even see in him in the first place," Lena said irritably, "Was he this stuffy back before?"

Ah, that's right. Nobody here knew the full story of what had happened between him and Hanzo. They knew that the two men had met in the past, and that Hanzo was Rico's other father, but that was it. Jesse had never told anyone about that part of his life, so nobody had any reason to think that their previous interactions were limited to just one night.

It was probably better to keep it that way, Jesse decided. He never was one to let people pry into his past too much.

"Sometimes I ask myself that same thing," Jesse said, and he left it at that.

\---

There was only one thing Jesse disliked more than Hanzo, and that was the fact that Rico was actually spending time with him.

It was supervised time, of course. There was no way in hell Jesse was letting Hanzo be alone with Rico for even a moment. Even if Hanzo had a right to spend time with the kid, that didn't mean that Jesse had to let it happen without any restrictions. And after the bullshit Hanzo had already pulled, Jesse definitely was placing restrictions on that visitation time.

Jesse was willing to overlook the 'tried to murder his own brother,' thing, if only because Genji had forgiven Hanzo already. If Genji could give forgiveness, then Jesse could do it begrudgingly as well. But Hanzo had made it perfectly clear that he saw Jesse as an unfit parent, and Jesse wasn't about to take that lying down. For all he knew, Hanzo might try to spirit Rico away in the middle of the night, if he was given the chance. Take him back to Japan, raise a little heir, take over the Shimada clan and rule it again, whatever. That could be his plan, and Jesse wasn't about to let that happen.

And, more importantly, he just didn't like Hanzo as a person. So he would take every chance to be a thorn in his side.

Even if that meant waking up at _six in the goddamn morning_ so he could sit through Hanzo teaching Rico how to meditate in the morning. Because that was what Rico needed, obviously. 

Rico's bedtime was early enough that he wasn't bothered by waking up at the ass-crack of dawn, but Jesse needed his beauty sleep. He wasn't about to adjust his sleeping schedule for Hanzo's sake, though. Call it stubbornness on his part. He would just sit there every morning, off to the side but still within eyesight, as Hanzo went through all this bullshit about calming the mind and preparing for the day. Some 'warrior code' crap or something.

But Rico was taking to it like a fish to water. Every morning he nodded along and followed after Hanzo like a little shadow, only stopping when Jesse finally decided that it was time for breakfast. After that, Hanzo usually disappeared for the day, off to do whatever it was that murderous brothers did in their free time.

…okay, maybe Jesse wasn't entirely over the 'trued to murder his own brother' thing. It was just more proof that Hanzo was a terrible person and didn't deserve to be in Rico's life.

And yet here he was, scowling at Hanzo every morning, trying to bore holes through his head by glaring at him. He was sure Hanzo knew how much Jesse did not like him, he had to know. But he never let it show externally. In fact, he stayed focused on Rico the whole time, and he barely paid Jesse any mind at all. That just made Jesse's blood boil even more.

That 'ignore Jesse' behavior seemed to last only as long as Rico was around, though. As sparsely populated as the Watchpoint was, there were still a few areas that people tended to stick to. It was easy enough to avoid Hanzo in some places, like the kitchen or the rec room, but there were places where confrontation was unavoidable. Living in such close quarters meant sharing, and there was one room everyone had to share: the training room.

Given how pretty much everyone was out of shape, the training room was full pretty much every hour of the day. Which meant that Jesse had to deal with an arrogant bastard every time he went in to practice.

To be fair, Jesse's shooting itself wasn't bad. His aim was as good as ever, since he still used that particular skill during the time between the fall of Overwatch and now. But that was about all that Jesse had going for him. He had really let his body go after Rico had been born, and his previously-toned abs and tight waist were a bit droopy in places. Discovering those 'love handles', as they were so eloquently put, was definitely a tough day for Jesse. Even if he hadn't gained much weight, it had obviously started shifting from muscle to fat, and that impacted his ability to fight.

That first time he tried to run a mile on the track had been hellish. He could still run, to be sure, but sustained running left him winded and achy. Even now, nearly two months after that first attempt at a run, Jesse found himself getting tired a lot faster than he had back during his time at Blackwatch. A natural consequence of both aging and childbirth, to be sure, but still a problem.

It might have been tolerable, if not for a certain archer that saw fit to make snide comments every now and then. They were infrequent, and if Jesse cared enough to pay attention he would have noticed a certain pattern to them. Namely, they tended to come after Jesse messed something up or made a mistake. Success on Jesse's part was usually met with silence. But failures, that was where Hanzo ran his damn mouth.

But Jesse didn't care about the frequency of such comments. All he cared about was the fact that someone was kicking him while he was down, and he was pretty damn sure it was intentional.

"Damnit," Jesse muttered under his breath as he unloaded Peacekeeper and grabbed one of his fast loaders. He was practicing his 'shoot, roll, shoot again' trick, one that he had used hundreds of times in the past to stun enemies and advance faster than they were expecting. It was one of his signature moves in Blackwatch, but after years of infrequent use he was rusty. He couldn't quite land the roll right, and after a few sloppy attempts his shoulder was starting to ache.

As usual, Jesse wasn't the only one in the training room. Almost nobody got it to themselves these days. But unfortunately for him, the other person in the room was none other than the very source of most of his irritation. And that source of irritation, as usual, felt the need to speak up. "Your form is lacking. You would be better suited for gymnastics practice if you-"

"Can it," Jesse said irritably as he snapped Peacekeeper's barrel back into place. The used fast loader went into a pouch on his belt, leaving him with three more before he needed to stop and refill them. Another attempt or two at this trick, then.

Jesse couldn't see the scowl on Hanzo's face, but he knew it was there. That man really didn't like being told no, it seemed. "So you want to roll around like a fool, then?"

"It's called 'practice', archer," Jesse responded, not even bothering to use Hanzo's name. Or any kind nickname, like he did with most of the agents at the base. No, he got boring descriptive names. He hadn't earned the name of 'sugar' or 'sweetpea' yet.

"It's called 'idiocy', cowboy," Hanzo answered, matching Jesse's tone exactly before moving on to another one of his damn lectures, "Practice means nothing if it is not guided towards some goal."

"And my goal here is 'shoot the bad guys twice as much'," Jesse said, waiving Peacekeeper in the air a bit to indicate to it, "Some of us fight up close, and getting' as many shots as possible is key."

"Not if those shots keep missing," Hanzo pointed out, "Everything after your scurrying around on the floor misses."

"Because I need to practice it," Jesse answered behind clenched teeth.

Hanzo's patience, if it could be called that, was beginning to wear thin. Jesse could tell that because his insults always got a lot more personal at that point. Which Hanzo showed off beautifully by crossing his arms in front of himself defensively as he said, "And the fool will continue to scurry around pointlessly. It is a miracle that our son hasn't picked up your bad habits yet-"

" _My_ son," Jesse seethed as he whirled on Hanzo, pointing a finger at him accusingly with his free hand, "And don't bring him into this, he ain't got nothin' to do with it."

Hanzo wasn't backing down, though. He stood strong, arms crossed, and his eyes narrowed just a little bit. "He has everything to do with it. He learns by watching us, and if you set a bad example then he will pick that up."

"Well he ain't here watchin' us," Jesse said, "So just shut up already. I know you like to be all 'high 'n' mighty', but it ain't helpin'."

"You are beyond help," Hanzo said icily.

Jesse straightened himself up, ready to start a fight right then and there. Someone needed to put Hanzo in his place, and Jesse was just itching to do it. Just one punch, one short fight, something to knock Hanzo off his high horse. Rico wasn't even there, so he wouldn't know about it.

There was to be no fight that day, though, because just then Athena's voice came through the speakers in the training room. "Agents McCree and Shimada, there will be a meeting in fifteen minutes in the science labs. Winston has requested that both of you attend."

Fifteen minutes was just enough time to get changed and freshened up. Jesse shot Hanzo another glare, and then he said, "Tell Winston I'll be there," before stalking off to the changing room.

\---

As it turned out, Jesse and Hanzo weren't the only ones called in. Lena, Reinhardt, and Angela were also there, already milling about around the labs. Winston was there as well, of course, but Jesse expected that. The big guy was at one of his computers, actually, going through some data that Jesse couldn't hope to understand.

Hanzo wasn't far behind Jesse, and as soon as he arrived Winston stopped messing around on his computer and stood up. "I'm glad you all could make it here," he said, "I wanted to give all of you more time for training before we started having missions, but something's come up that can't wait."

"Don't worry," Lena said, patting Winston on the arm, "We're ready for whatever you need."

That drew a little smile out of Winston, who gave Lena a quiet 'thank you' before he faced everyone else and spoke again. This time, though, he started pulling up images on the main screen as he spoke. "I received a distress call three days ago. It took some time to decode, but about six hours ago I made a breakthrough. One of our former agents appears to have gotten in trouble with the authorities in Argentina while trying to make their way to Gibraltar."

Jesse perked up as soon as he heard the name 'Argentina'. "Garcia," he asked hopefully. 

Winston shook his head. "Sorry, it's not her. But it might be a familiar face for some of you."

A picture popped up on the main screen. It was of a woman in glasses, possibly in her 30s, with her black hair drawn up in a bun. The face seemed vaguely familiar to Jesse, in that 'I might've seen her once or twice' way, but he couldn't put a name to the face. Apparently Angela could, though, because as soon as she saw the picture she gasped. "Mei," she said, sounding confused, "But how? She was declared dead eight years ago!"

"It seems as though that declaration was a bit premature," Winston said wryly, "As for the 'how', we'll find that out after we rescue her. Right now she is in jail, facing deportation back to China."

"Why is this a problem then," Hanzo asked, "If her only punishment is deportation, then you could contact her once she is back in China."

"It's not that simple. Dr. Zhou was one of China's brightest environmentalists. When Ecopoint: Antarctica went dark nine years ago, we assumed everyone there had passed away. And since Overwatch had insisted on sending Dr. Zhou there in the first place, China never took too kindly to us after that. In fact, they were one of the main proponents for the Petras Act, citing our 'disregard for human life' as one of the reasons for supporting it."

"So if she gets deported, then she'll probably never get out of China again," Lena said, putting together what Winston was trying to tell them. 

With a nod, Winston started pulling up more files. "Exactly. They're not going to let a national hero, one that was feared to be dead, leave after something like that. Which is why we need to rescue her before that happens."

A few schematics for a building appeared on the screen. Several entry paths were labeled, pointing out primary and secondary exit points. "Reinhardt, Angela, you two are going to be our main forces on the ground. You were both in Overwatch, and both of you personally know Dr. Zhou. Your goal is to convince them to grant you access to her, using your former status as Overwatch agents to do so. It is vital that you approach this as a 'friends only' kind of deal. You're two concerned friends who happened to be in the area for a concert. You overheard that your friend has been found alive and well, and you want to see her and explain everything that has happened to her. The Argentinian government can't know that you're there to recruit her, or else they won't give you access. They won't want to risk the wrath of the Chinese government by cooperating with an extraction."

Next, Winston turned to Jesse. "McCree, you're going as a translator. I have it on file that you speak Spanish, which will be an asset here."

"Not that I don't mind helpin', but you do know I speak Mexican Spanish, right?" He was already running through the list of Spanish-speakers in his mind, though, and he was quickly coming to the conclusion that he really was the best possible choice here. There were a couple others who had answered the recall who spoke Spanish, but for them it was either European Spanish (which was even further away from Argentinian Spanish than Mexican Spanish was), or they spoke it non-fluently. Without someone actually from Argentina in their ranks, Jesse would have to do.

Winston confirmed this thought a moment later by saying, "You're the best we have right now. Can you make due?"

"I'll try," Jesse answered, though he still had some reservations about it.

"That's all I ask," Winston said. Next, he turned to Lena. "You'll be our pilot. You will need to stay by the ship and be ready to evacuate as soon as possible. If all goes well, the others should be in and out within two hours."

"You've got it," Lena replied cheerfully, giving Winston a little two-finger salute.

Finally, Winston turned to Hanzo. "I have it in your file that you are excellent at climbing and surveying areas," he asked, to which Hanzo nodded. "Good. Then your job will be to stay up high and watch the building from the outside. The Chinese envoy to pick her up isn't supposed to arrive for two more days yet, but anything can happen. So you will need to watch the building and let everyone know if anything starts to go wrong."

"I understand," Hanzo said, dipping his head slightly. Something about the action made Jesse irritated, but he bit down that irritation and didn't comment on it.

Winston looked around at everyone once more before saying, "Does everyone understand their parts?" Once everyone answered in the affirmative, he continued, saying, "Good. Your ship is leaving in an hour. Pack lightly, the entire trip there and back should only take two days at the most. Reinhardt, Angela, and McCree, you three will be given the appropriate gear, since you're supposed to be going to a concert. Hanzo and Lena, just try to blend in as best as you can."

He paused for a moment there before adding, "And everyone? Stay safe. This is a risky mission, I don't want any of you to get hurt.

"Don't worry, big guy," Jesse said, "We'll be fine. This is a cakewalk compared to some of the missions we had back in the day."

"But you were all better-trained then," Winston said in a warning, "Don't over-extend yourselves. I have seen the training records for all of you, and you're progressing nicely, but the years off have dulled our skills. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

At that, Jesse cast a glance in Hanzo's direction. Hanzo seemed to have the same thought, because he was giving Jesse a wary look, like he was sure Jesse would be the one to let the team down. Funnily enough, Jesse had just been thinking the same thing about Hanzo himself: he wasn't from the old Overwatch, so he didn't know how their team worked. If anyone was going to mess this up, it would be him.

Jesse just had to make sure Hanzo didn't have that chance.


	7. Green really isn't his color

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: the beginning of this chapter contains sexual content, knotting, and mentions of mpreg. If you want to skip this, start at the part labeled 'present day.'

**Six years ago**

_He had knotted him._

_That bastard had_ knotted _him._

_Jesse rolled his hips a little, wincing as he felt the tug of the knot within him. Yep, that thing was still stuck tight. In his experience alpha knots usually lasted a good 20 minutes or so, but they were going on 15 minutes now with no sign of relief. Did this mysterious stranger have lasting power? If so, this was going to get more awkward than it already was._

_Jesse grumbled to himself as he adjusted his arm, preparing for a longer stay on his side. He had ended up laying on his left side, and his left arm didn't make for a very comfortable pillow. This was not the 'basking in the afterglow' he had been hoping for._

_Still, the sex itself had been pretty good. Good enough that Jesse wouldn't mind a round two in the morning, so long as his bed partner could keep himself from knotting again._

_The pair of arms around Jesse's waist tightened into what felt like a hug, or maybe clinging? Jesse tried to look over his shoulder at the man currently stuck behind him, but the man had pressed his face against Jesse's back, obscuring him from view. "Sorry," her murmured against Jesse's skin._

_Now Jesse felt bad. "It's alright darlin'," he said quickly, his right hand moving to cover the two currently interlocked at his waist, "It's no big deal. We'll get more comfortable in a little bit."_

_The man let out a huff of air, but said nothing. Instead, he let the silence hang in the dark hotel room for a while, leaving Jesse to wonder if he had said something wrong. But Jesse couldn't find the words to say either, and instead spent a minute or two just listening to the rain patter against the window outside. The storm, which had gone unnoticed during their 'activities', was still as strong as ever. It looked like it would be a long, wet night._

_Eventually it was the man who spoke up again. "Will you need medicine in the morning?"_

_"Medicine…?" A moment later, Jesse realized what the man meant. "Oh. Probably not, no. I ain't fertile outside of my heats, so it should be fine."_

_"It should be fine," the man repeated, an obvious sense of doubt in his voice._

_Jesse sighed. "Look, you ain't exactly the first alpha I've ever been with. I keep track of my heats, and I've never had a pregnancy scare before. It'll be fine." He was 31, after all. By now he knew his own body well enough to tell when he had to worry about the possibility of pregnancy. No sense in wasting money on 'plan b' if he wasn't at risk in the first place._

_"Of course, my apologies," the man said, though this apology sounded a lot less sincere than the last one. Jesse couldn't quite tell if the man was trying to be funny or not, but he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt there._

_Patting the man's hands, he said, "It'll be fine. We can talk about it in the morning if you're really worried." Even if they were still connected, Jesse was starting to feel drowsy, and a bit of rest didn't sound like too bad of an idea. They could wake up to separate later._

_The man hummed in approval and settled into bed behind Jesse, making himself a bit more comfortable. It seemed like he was ready for some rest too._

_Jesse never got the chance to have that conversation (or round two) in the morning, though. By the time he awoke to the sunrise of the new day, the mysterious man was gone._

\---

**Present day**

The team going on the mission didn't have much time to prepare. Winston wanted them to leave as soon as possible, which meant 'grab your shit and get going'. The concert gear was ordered and would be waiting for them at their initial dropoff point, but everything else had to be packed and loaded as soon as possible. The flight over to Argentina was already going to take several hours, and they were on quite the time crunch. 

Still, Jesse found it hard to say his goodbyes to Rico. He knew it would happen eventually, he couldn't exactly take a small child on away missions with him. And it wasn't like Rico would be in any danger on base, Genji was going to be watching him. But it was the first 'away trip' Jesse was going to have. Ever. Prior to this, Rico had been with him nonstop. The absolute longest they had ever been separated was maybe six hours tops, and even that had left Jesse antsy. How was Rico going to handle being away from his father for two whole days? 

More importantly, how was Jesse going to keep from calling Genji every ten minutes to check up on Rico?

"You better not call me every ten minutes," Genji said with a laugh after Jesse expressed his fears to him. Technically Jesse was only at Genji's room to drop of Rico and some of his stuff for the 'sleepover', but he found it hard to just say 'goodbye' and leave. So he was sitting there talking to Genji while Rico played around with Midori. "I think I would throw my phone out the window eventually."

"You better not," Jesse warned. He knew Genji wouldn't, but even the threat of it put Jesse on edge.

Genji reached out and placed a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "Be calm, my friend. It's your 'paternal instincts' talking, nothing more. You have bonded with Rico, and it's hard to separate a bonded parent and child. But you have to trust me here. He will be alright, no harm will come to him while he is under my watch."

Jesse wanted to argue, to say that he had to be there, but he stopped himself. Genji was right, this was his instincts talking, not him. It was a known problem among single parents; with no mate to share the parenting with, they tended to get extremely tense when it came to being separated from their child. The fact that Genji was his best friend and he trusted him with his life was probably the only reason Jesse wasn't being completely unreasonable about all of this.

With a sigh, Jesse sunk back into the couch. "It gets easier, right?"

"Yes, it does," Genji confirmed, "I saw it many times within my family: mothers and fathers, both reluctant to let their child go to school when they were of age. The first time is always the worst, but it gets better from there."

Right. It would get easier. Jesse could do this. He just had to get through this one mission with nothing going wrong, and future missions would be a breeze. He had to do this. How else would he be able to go on missions and do his actual job?

"Call me if anything's wrong," Jesse said finally, "Even if it's the middle of the night. It don't matter what it is, if Rico needs me then just call."

"I will," Genji said, "But really, it will be fine. We're just going to watch movies and eat cereal for two days."

That actually drew a little smile from Jesse. "I thought you didn't need to eat."

"There is always room for Cinnamon Toast Crunch," Genji answered.

\---

Jesse was the last one to board the ship, running up the ramp with his pack slung over his back. It didn't contain much, just his meds—both the birth control Angela had insisted on and his regular medication—and a change of clothes. Everything else he would need was on his physical person: his phone, his wallet, and the fake ID he had been given. Angela and Reinhardt would be using their actual names, but Jesse was a wanted criminal and needed to go under an alibi. 'Manuel Martinez', one of the former Overwatch agents who had disappeared off the face of the Earth once Overwatch was shut down. Nobody even knew where he was, so it was a safe identity to use. Unless Martinez himself showed up, nobody should question it.

Lena and Hanzo didn't need IDs, since they weren't going into the building, but they did have to dress for the part. Hanzo in particular seemed off-put by the fact that he had to wear black, covering clothing instead of his usual getup. Maybe he didn't like not being able to show off his tattoo, Jesse figured. But whatever the case, Hanzo looked particularly annoyed while sitting in one of the safety seats on the aircraft. He was on the very left of his set of three seats, and nobody was occupying the other two. Probably because of Hanzo's bad attitude, if they were being honest there.

A quick glance to the other three seats told Jesse the rest of the story: Angela was on the far right, and Reinhardt was on the far left. This wasn't because of a disagreement or anything, though. Reinhardt was just a very, VERY large man, and he spilled over into the middle seat. The gap was necessary to keep Angela from getting elbowed in the side of her head. And if Angela couldn't fit into the seat right next to Reinhardt, then there was no way in hell Jesse was going to be able to fit in there.

"Hurry up," Lena called from the cockpit, "I can't take off until you're buckled in!"

"Alright, alright," Jesse grumbled, and he moved over to the other side of the seating area. He opted for the far-right seat, leaving a gap between himself and Hanzo, even though no gap was necessary for comfort. Hanzo definitely noticed, and he shot Jesse a cold look before turning his attention elsewhere.

Good, Jesse thought. He would tolerate working with Hanzo, but he wasn't about to make buddy-buddy with him.

Almost as soon as Jesse was buckled in, the aircraft began to lift off. It was a familiar feeling to Jesse, who had gone on hundreds of missions as part of Blackwatch. Admittedly Lena was a much better pilot than anyone in Blackwatch had been, so the ride itself was smooth and easy, but even if it had been a bit bumpy Jesse would have been fine. It was familiar territory for him.

He glanced over at Hanzo quickly and saw a worried look on the man's face as they bounced a few times during liftoff. He was looking down at the floor beneath his feet, as if he expected the plane to fall apart or something. He must've been used to civilian airplanes, which were a much smoother flight. Jesse opened his mouth, about to spout some reassurances to the archer, but he stopped himself and closed his mouth once more. No, he wasn't going to do that. He wasn't here to make friends with Hanzo.

In the end it was Angela who spoke up. "Do not worry so much," she called over to him, "This is normal."

Immediately Hanzo's face hardened, not so much because he was upset with Angela but moreso to cover up the previous fears which had been very obvious on his face. Jesse recognized that kind of behavior immediately: Hanzo was trying to cover up what he perceived to be a weakness. Huh. Interesting.

"I am fine," Hanzo said, speaking firmly but not unkindly, "Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary." 

In return, Angela gave Hanzo a look. Jesse recognized that look all too well: it was the one she gave any alpha when she thought they were posturing. Which Hanzo was probably doing, honestly, so the look was warranted. Angela was one beta that you didn't want to mess with, and Jesse was silently glad that she was here to keep Hanzo (and to some extent, Reinhardt) in line. "Well if your stomach disagrees, there are air sickness bags on the side of your seat," she said curtly.

Then something strange happened, something that Jesse had no explanation for. He probably would have missed it entirely had he not been watching Hanzo so closely. For just a brief moment, there was a flash of emotion across Hanzo's face, one that had gotten away from him before he could frown and cover it up. For just a moment, his brow had eased back a bit, shifting his face from the stern look he carried to something closer to…Jesse wasn't entirely sure, to be honest. Regret? Shame? Something in that area. Perhaps if the emotion had stayed there longer, Jesse would have been able to identify it. But it was gone as quickly as it came, and Jesse looked away quickly to keep from being too obvious in his staring.

He just didn't understand Hanzo, he decided. He was very rude and confrontational, but then he had moments like this too. What was he even thinking? Was he _sad_ over the fact that nobody liked him? Because that was ridiculous, Jesse thought to himself. The reason nobody liked Hanzo was because Hanzo was an absolute asshole about everything ever. He was in control of that, and if he wanted to make friends then all he needed to do was to not be a jerk about everything. Most of Overwatch, especially the current Overwatch, was friendly betas who could get along with almost everyone. All Hanzo had to do was actually try.

But then again, it wasn't Jesse's place to tell him that. Jesse had already decided that he wasn't going to make friends with Hanzo, so he wasn't about to help him make friends either. Hanzo would have to figure out this 'friendship' thing on his own.

Even if his behavior was kind of pathetic sometimes, and Jesse had to fight that urge to feel bad for him.

\---

They arrived in Buenos Aires in the evening after a long 10-hour flight. Even though the flight was shorter than a commercial flight would be, since the aircraft—an Orca from the long-gone days of Overwatch—could travel much faster than anything else around, it still felt like an eternity to Jesse. The flight back would be much better, since they would have a new teammate in tow and they would probably have a lot to talk about. After all, nine years on the ice left Mei with a lot she needed to catch up on. 

But on the way to Argentina, everyone was focused on the upcoming mission, so the tension was thick in the air. By the last two hours even Lena had given up on any attempts to start a conversation. Everyone was in 'go' mode, and light conversation was no use. Which was a shame, Jesse did like to chat, especially with his good buddy Lena. He knew he needed to stay focused, though. Not only was he a pretty important part of this mission, but he also had to keep an eye on Hanzo too.

Hanzo was a good shot, Jesse had to admit that. He had seen the archer in training many times. But his teamwork was appalling and it was hard to count on a guy who you didn't trust. If a fight broke out, Jesse just didn't know if he could count on Hanzo to keep an eye out for them. He was sure the others felt the same way, too. So Jesse resolved to keep things from getting to that point in the first place. If everything was under control, then they wouldn't need the off-putting archer to save their asses.

He just had to figure out how to do that while looking like some new-wave music reject.

"Y'sure we gotta wear this stuff," Jesse asked as he held up the t-shirt that had been passed to him. It was a green tie-dye t-shirt about two sizes too big for him with a big green frog in headphones plastered on the front.

Reinhardt had ended up in a similarly-ridiculous-looking shirt, though his was in a darker green with a tribal mark-type frog design on it. His shirt also looked like it would rip off of him if he flexed too hard or moved too fast in any way. Still, Reinhardt had pulled on the shirt with no complaints, and even seemed to like it. "You say that as if it is a bad thing," he said, chiding Jesse a bit, "Look at this! Green really is my color."

Okay, there was no way that kind of enthusiasm about something as silly as a gaudy band t-shirt wouldn't draw a chuckle out of Jesse. "If you say so. I think I'm more of a red guy myself, though."

"You will be fine," Angela said. She had already changed into her outfit—jeans and another frog-shirt with the same decal as what Jesse had, but this one was on a plain green t-shirt—and she was just waiting for the two guys to finish up. 

Jesse seriously doubted that, but he would tolerate these uncomfortable clothes. It was for a good cause, after all. "I just wish I weren't so exposed," Jesse said, finally pulling the shirt over his head and letting it hang down loose on him, "Can't I take my hat with me?"

"It's too obvious," Angela answered, "We need to blend in, and it will make you stick out. If you would like another hat, however, we do have one."

Jesse perked up a bit when he heard that. It might not be his signature Stenson, but any kind of hat would be better than nothing. Jesse's perpetual hat-hair didn't need to be shown to the world. He immediately changed his opinion as soon as he saw exactly what kind of hat Angela had in her hands. "Oh hell no," Jesse said, waving off the bright green baseball cap with a frog logo on the front, "I ain't wearin' that."

"Suit yourself," Angela said simply, and she put the hat on herself instead, sliding her ponytail through the hole in the back. It looked slightly better on her than it would have looked on him, so he would just deal with the hat hair for now. 

Once they were dressed, the three of them started sticking their extra tactical gear away. None of them could take any guns or other weapons with them, as they would be frisked before entering the building. They did have a few tools hidden away in various spots, though. Jesse had traded out his BAMF belt buckle for a hollow version that contained a set of lockpicks in it. He also had a small tactical knife tucked away in a secret compartment in his metal arm, one that was impossible to find if you didn't know exactly where to look for it. The lighter he carried with him could be turned into a small, high-powered blowtorch if need be as well, and three of the cigarettes in his pack were actually small explosions.

Angela's hair tie hid a length of strong wire, one that could serve several purposes. Her makeup bag contained several concealed tools that even Jesse didn't know the extent of. All he knew was that she was pretty much carrying a swiss army knife in there. She also had a couple biotic injections and tranquilizers hidden on her, just in case. 

Reinhardt didn't carry any extra gear beyond the small earpiece they all wore. His fists were probably more useful than any tool he could carry anyway.

Lena wasn't going in with everyone, so she wore her usual gear. The only difference was that she had swapped out her bomber jacket and bright orange pants for some more muted colors, so that it would be easier for her to sneak around at night. Well, as easy as she could sneak around with a bright glowing machine on the front of her chest.

Finally, there was Hanzo. He was dressed in all black, with even his fancy tattoo covered up. His outfit was mostly nondescript, except for the belt he wore, one dug out of the surplus stash in one of the warehouses in the watchpoint. This one carried a few useful tools on it: a knife, a tiny med kit, and a few other odds and ends. One tiny splash of Overwatch on Hanzo's otherwise-unusual outfit. 

Jesse held up a hand to his earpiece, pressing the 'talk' button as he said, "Can y'all hear me?"

"Of course," Reinhardt boomed, "We are in the same room, my friend!"

That got Jesse to chuckle again. Always the enthusiastic one, he was. "I mean over the earpieces, big guy."

"I can hear you loud and clear," Lena said over the coms, "And we're about four minutes out from our mission start time, so let's get a move on."

Jesse glanced to Hanzo, who nodded in return. Without a word, he stepped over to the hatch. It was the smaller side hatch up by the entryway to the cockpit, rather than the main one that they usually used. They had decided to go out quietly, so the smaller door was the best option for that. Even if it was a bit of a tight squeeze for one of their teammates.

Hanzo stood by the door as Lena hit the button to open it. They all waited silently for the few seconds it took for it to open. But while they were waiting, another voice came over the coms. "Hello? Can you all hear me?"

"We've got you Winston," Angela said warmly, "Has the situation changed at all?"

"No, everything is proceeding normally," Winston answered, "We have been monitoring the situation from here, thanks to a few dozen cameras around the city. It looks like the concert will be starting soon. Remember, you need to be in and out before the concert is over if you're going to use the crowd as a cover for your retreat."

"We'll keep an eye on it," Lena said, "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."

"Just stay in touch, everyone. I'll be watching out for you from here, but we have no way of getting to you in time if things go wrong. The only backup you have is who is with you now."

The five men and women there looked around at each other. Jesse knew they were all silently sizing each other up. Would everything turn out alright? Would they make it out just fine? Could they really trust each other's skills after six years of disuse?

"Well we ain't gettin' any younger," Jesse said finally, "We should get a move on."

And with that, Hanzo dropped out of the plane and into the darkness of the early evening. Jesse couldn't even see him as he scurried off in the night, heading off to his vantage point.

The rest of the team waited quietly for the signal from Hanzo. They probably could have gone on their own, Jesse reasoned, but the plan called for Hanzo to scout things out first. Jesse may have had a tendency to go off-plan, but ditching it so early into the mission was probably a bad idea. He could wait a little bit, at least.

After a few minutes, Hanzo's voice finally came through the comm. "All clear," he called, "There is minimal security at the airport. As predicted, the majority of the city's police and security forces are at the concert."

"I guess we should thank that guy when we're all done," Jesse said, smirking a bit as he spoke.

"I'm sure he will give a big fan like you an autograph," Lena teased, jabbing at Jesse's side with an elbow.

"The path is clear," Hanzo repeated over the com, his voice rising a bit as his irritation set in, "I would suggest moving now, if you wish for the situation to remain favorable."

Jesse cast Lena a glance, and Lena just shrugged in response as she mouthed 'wet blanket' to him. Yeah, that sounded about right. Who got irritated over a bit of early-mission banter? It was practically Overwatch tradition!

Angela was the diplomatic one of the night, though. She cast Jesse and Lena a disapproving glance before pressing the button on her earpiece and saying, "Understood. We're moving out now." Then she gestured to Reinhardt and Jesse, indicating that they should go first. Her support instincts were still strong, even after years of working in civilian settings.

Reinhardt stepped out first, barely squeezing through the door. "Such a tight fit," he said once he was through, "We should use the main doors when we leave."

"That should be fine," Lena said cheerfully, "I'll be sure to lower those doors when I get the signal for extraction."

"Thank you kindly," Jesse said, giving Lena a friendly wink before he stepped out into the night.

The air was crisp, but not quite cool. No, it was actually pleasantly warm, just the right temperature to enjoy a night on the town. With this weather everyone would be out at that concert, meaning they had plenty of crowds and cover to work with tonight. Even though they had landed some distance away from the concert itself, Jesse could already hear the heavy beats of the music and the loud cheers of the people singing along. It didn't sound that bad, if Jesse were being honest. It wasn't his style of music, but it wasn't painful to listen to either. It was almost a shame that they would all be missing the concert, he was curious about it now.

But no, they had a job to do. Jesse could look up this singer later if he really wanted to. For now, he had a mission to focus on and friends to get home safely. 

He knew hoping for everything to go as planned was futile. Nothing ever went as planned, especially not when Jesse McCree was involved. So instead, he silently prayed that whatever went wrong was small and nonlethal.


End file.
